Our fashion industry has evolved to one of fast fashion due to our increasing consumerist habits. Our generation seems to be constantly wanting more and more although we may not necessarily need all the goods we possess. However, consumerism comes with a cost. Fast lashlon has a disastrous effect on our environment. takes away jobs from countries such as Canada and the United States and neglects overseas worker’s rights, Many of us have come to realize this. Some companies have even come to realize this, In fact, sustainability is one of the various reasons why Uniqlo has become one of the world’s top three retailers over a very short span of time. Their success is attributed to their aligned and moral values, their quality products as well and their sustainability. Uniqlo clearly rejects the idea of Fast fashion. Their CEO once stated “We do not make disposable clothes. “
Hence referring to their belief that our fashion industry must be changed. Their strategy is to ignore the fashion trend and seasons and opt for a much simpler and traditional style, For instance, while their competitors such as Zara and H&M may release up to around 18 000 items a year, Uniqlo on the other hand will release only 1 900 items. They much rather opt for an inclusive style “Made for all” strategy, made to conform to all differences found in humans such as gender and ethnicity. They clearly display this in their campaigns by featuring their very simple styles. They are well known for their traditional yet highly efficient designs like their HeatTech, LifeWear and AlRism. For instance, as shown in the print. their clothing is of a simple colour, has a simple style and can be worn by various different people. Even their brand logo has a very simple design.
However, it shows that their products tru are “Made For All”. Nothing in their designs or styles clashes or seriously grabs our attention. Quite ironically, the company has decided to go against their brand name “Uniqlo” which means unique. Uniqlo share its ideal of simplicity and essential basic. This, appealing to a large range of consumers. Uniqlo is also very successful in their campaigning due to their high-quality products, The Japanese brand is known for their exceptional technology that can be found at very reasonable prices. in fact. Uniqlo is determined that a quality product must be well-designed, well made and very importantly, made with good materials. Their designs are notoriously known due to their high-tech development. They collaborated with a Japanese chemical company named Toray to come up with their signature HeatTech.
This fabric allows the clothes to turn moisture (sweat) into heat and also has air pockets to retain this heat. Uniqlo also focuses on on using good materials. The brand is known for its high—quality natural fabrics. They very often demonstrate this with their advertisements. They like to show where their materials come from and how natural they are, All this, at very affordables prices so that all ages, and people with different incomes can afford it. The Japanese brand is also famous for showing their sustainability and eco- friendly approach. In fact, this is what the chosen Instagram video features. It tells the customer how they make sustainable clothes by using design. technology and innovation. The retailer shows how their advances in technology are used to care about the environment. For instance. they use waterless cleaning that has a much smaller impact on the environment.
Therefore. since quite a few shoppers have become aware of the fashion industry impact, many consumers turn to Uniqlo for its sustainability. Additionally when scrolling through their various ads it became quite apparent of Uniqlo‘s values. They care for a better world. A better world where our planet is treated better and most importantly the people inside it. They run many campaigns of awareness. which also significantly helps the company’s image and. parallely. their products. In these campaigns. they help invest themselves and financially contribute to making a change. For instance. they support many children in need across the globe. One of their ads showing this states ” The Power of clothing for the future of the children.” They also had a campaign for Earth Day where you could recycle your Uniqlo clothes at any of their stores. Recently. they have worked hard on campaigning for disabilities and women’s rights.
Uniqlo and UN women signed a Global Pannership, They helped empower women by providing them with an access to specialized training and capacity. This. done to empower and change the garment industry. Therefore. by showcasing this in their campaigns. they reach a broader range of people and appeal to their emotions. Finally. Uniqlo does a very good job at collaborating and getting very marketable people in their campaigns. They have two main paid sponsors: Roger Federer and Adam Scott, Two very successlul rnale athletes that dominate the tennis and golf world. Both are very marketable. attractive males that gain a lot of attention and help the company’s image.
They also have multiple ambassadors such as Gorden Reid. a physically disabled tennis player. The ever rising brand also made its name due to their publicized collaborations with high brand designers. Recently Uniqlo collaborated with designers such as Alexander Wang. Lemaire. JW Anderson and many more. They campaigned their collaboration gaining much popularity. By associating to these designers, it demonstrates their high quality products are worth buying and are recognized by our fashion industry Now that they have established a huge market in Asia, Uniqlo should now focus on developing its name abroad. They will be opening stores in Canada over the next few years which should help their spread in North America. Uniqlo should also focus on targeting teens because, even though the company may be very popular, I have yet to see it worn by people of my age.
