Uniqlo x Toray marks 15 years

NEW YORK —“Rather than being conscious of what technology goes into the making of our clothes — it is about Uniqlo having the best technology that has become a requirement in producing good products,” said Tadashi Yanai, president and CEO of Uniqlo parent company, Fast Retailing, at the celebration of the 15th anniversary with Toray in New York, recently. “Toray’s revolutionary technologies have been vital in Uniqlo’s quest to create LifeWear clothing, which makes everyday life better and more comfortable for people everywhere.”

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The cool weather had just started to make its presence felt when we arrived in New York for the Uniqlo X Toray’s  “The Art and Science of LifeWear,” a large-scale global expo, which marked the 15th anniversary of Uniqlo’s fabric technology partner, Toray.

“Our corporate philosophy is about contributing to society through the creation of new value with innovative ideas, technologies, and products,” said Akihiro Nikkaku, president of Toray Industries. “As an integrated chemical company, we engage in research and development from long-term perspectives in the conviction that materials can change our lives. I hope the exhibition of HeatTech and other technological fruits of joint development with Uniqlo will give a solid understanding of why this partnership can keep delivering new value in the years ahead.”

The partnership between Uniqlo and Toray has resulted in clothes that make Uniqlo unique — and one the of the most sought-after brands when looking for clothes that are cool to look at, yet provide the warmth that is needed during the cool months here in the Philippines — or in the travels to cold countries that Filipinos are so fond of.

It was in 2003 that Uniqlo first introduced HeatTech, its first collaboration with Toray. The Art and Science of LifeWear was a showcase of how the two unique companies work together to produce quality clothes. I was amazed at how an unconventional partnership can also be highly complementary and oh-so techie.

As I walked around the exhibit hall, I liked the clothes that I saw as much as I was in awe of how in one room Uniqlo and Toray put together clothes and the technology that goes into making each fabric exact in the function that it performs. Like entering a science lab and seeing how beautiful things are made much better because of the technology that goes behind each strand of yarn that makes each shirt, dress, pants, jackets, and undergarments.

It is this collaboration that has underpinned the advancement of Uniqlo LifeWear and has made it the world’s most responsive, relevant apparel for the human experience today.

WASH, WASH AND WASH

“Because of the work with Toray we are able to deliver very unique products,” said Yanai. “Our products are more durable as the colors do not fade and the sewing quality is much superior. Because of good fabric, no matter how frequently one washes their clothes the quality remains intact.”

For Uniqlo, Toray’s technology has helped Uniqlo put itself in a unique position.  “Because in the fashion industry going after a certain fashion and style has become a common practice. But with Toray what we focus on is creating products that are not just fashionable but better and wearable, too.”

Experimental and revelatory in nature, the exhibit was a first of its kind for Uniqlo and Toray outside of Japan. It put the spotlight on the inner workings of the fabric technologies they co-develop to make the world a better place for millions of people globally — cooler, warmer, more comfortable. Rather than on models walking the runway.

As I walked through the exhibition hall filled with a series of large-scale installations and live experiential displays, I got a better understanding of just how important Uniqlo technologies in AIRism, Kando Pants and Dry-EX truly are.

I liked the deconstruction of the HeatTech technology exhibit, which allowed me to see a molecular-level perspective of the fabric and its special heat-retention properties, and a special experiment to discover the absolute minimum volume to which Uniqlo’s Ultra Light Down can be compressed.

“Now that we have a partnership with Toray we have become aware of what kind of yarn is made and of what kind of fiber is needed to make our clothes better, last longer,” added Yanai. “The first product we did with Toray was to put together a fleece clothing line. It was then that we realized we needed to rely on Toray because, when we went in search of a different supplier, the product was completely different from what we needed or wanted. It is the technological advancement of Toray that develops the fabrics we need and use at Uniqlo.”

This explains why the collaboration between Uniqlo and Toray remains strong after 15 years. Uniqlo is able to share with Toray what its needs are and what it wants to accomplish in its clothing lines. Together they are able to make the products that Uniqlo calls LifeWear — clothes that people need and want and are wearable, fashionable, too.

“If we want a specific product to last, we ask Toray what could be the right technology that could produce such product,” quipped Yanai. “I encourage people to attend this exhibition to see the innovations stemming from this partnership that have enabled us to deliver new value by combining unparalleled functionality and comfort with contemporary styling.”

But there is a need to also stay current and remain true to who Uniqlo is.

“Being true to who we are is, for us, not to care about what’s happening in fast fashion,” quipped John C. Jay, president of Global Creative, Fast Retailing Co. LTD.

“The biggest trend in fashion is self respect. It is about respecting the consumer — we try to make clothes to enable them to express who they are.”

Uniqlo makes sure that its clothes are really about life because they want their customers to wear their clothes every day. “There is so much that goes into making of our clothes,” added Jay. “Lifewear is such an important word for us. Uniqlo is growing — and that growth comes with responsibility.”

Indeed.

I did not lose sight of the Japanese values that go into every product produced by Uniqlo X Toray  — simplicity, quality and longevity — this is what LifeWear is about.

LifeWear is made from what Uniqlo’s customers want — and then the company builds on these concepts to produce individual styles.

Every Uniqlo X Toray collaboration is about developing not just a shirt, but to make every shirt perfect. From a simple design, Uniqlo endeavors to incorporate thoughtful and modern details in all its clothes.  The best in fit and fabric made to be affordable and accessible to all.

As Uniqlo puts it: “LifeWear is clothing that is constantly being innovated, bringing more warmth, more lightness, better design, and better comfort to people’s lives.”

Oh, and yes, not to be missed that day were Toray technologies from the world’s most innovative fields: aircraft, racecars, rockets. The concept car was a winner for me — I wished, as I sat in its cockpit, that it was not just a concept car.