UNIQLO staff provide donations of new HEATTECH items to Ukrainian refugees in Moldova in October 2024 as the part of The Heart of LifeWear initiative.
Support for people forced to flee, children in need, and disaster victims around the world
Global apparel retailer UNIQLO announces the launch of “The Heart of LifeWear,” a new initiative to donate one million new items of HEATTECH thermal clothing to people in need around the world this winter. This global initiative originated with UNIQLO considering the question ‘What makes life better?’ and asking how, in its 40th anniversary year, the brand could take further concrete action to contribute to society through LifeWear.
Speaking about the announcement of the initiative, Koji Yanai, Senior Group Executive Officer at Fast Retailing Co. Ltd, the parent company of UNIQLO, said, “All over the world, every day there are people whose situation suddenly changes regardless of their intentions or will – due to conflict, persecution, or natural disasters. No one wants to become a refugee, or to find themselves suddenly living in precarious circumstances.”
“Through our new global initiative from this winter, The Heart of LifeWear, UNIQLO seeks to make a positive impact on the lives of as many people as we can who are living in such situations, aiming to help make life better and more comfortable – even just a little – for people in need around the world,” he said.
Currently, there are more than 120 million refugees and internally-displaced people globally, as well as many others who are forced to live in difficult circumstances, both in markets where UNIQLO operates and in nearby regions. Through The Heart of LifeWear initiative, UNIQLO will provide support to help make life a little more comfortable for people forced to flee, children in need, victims of natural disasters, and other vulnerable people around the world. Along with HEATTECH thermal items, UNIQLO will also donate breathable, lightweight AIRism clothing, depending on the climate of the recipient region.
Collaboration with UNIQLO global brand ambassadors and Toray Group
To support The Heart of LifeWear initiative, UNIQLO will be assisted by its Global Brand Ambassadors Roger Federer, Kei Nishikori, Shingo Kunieda, Gordon Reid, Ayumu Hirano, and Adam Scott; as well as Toray Group, the leading Japanese materials manufacturer and long-term UNIQLO partner who jointly developed HEATTECH.
Number of items to be donated and recipients worldwide
| UNIQLO Activity | Donation Region | Recipients | No. of Items |
| Global | Global | Donation through UNHCR to forcibly displaced people.Planned donation of 400,000 items to Jordan this winter. | 500,000 |
| Via local UNIQLO businesses | Japan | Victims of the Noto Peninsula earthquake and torrential rains, and to child and family services facilities. | 100,000 |
| Greater China | Elderly people and children living in poverty, people with disabilities, etc. | 120,000 | |
| South Korea | Elderly people who are living alone and in poverty. | 50,000 | |
| Southeast Asia, India, Australia | Refugees, internally-displaced people, victims of natural disasters, adults and children living in poverty, etc. | 120,000 | |
| North America | Refugees, people experiencing homeless, adults and children living in poverty, etc. | 80,000 | |
| Europe | Refugees, adults and children living in poverty, etc. | 100,000 | |
| Total: | 1,070,000 | ||
About fast retailing’s global partnership with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency
Fast Retailing began working with UNHCR in 2006, providing clothing assistance for refugees and displaced persons around the world, and making support for refugees one of the key components of its sustainability program. In 2011, to give more comprehensive support to help solve the refugee crisis, Fast Retailing became the first company based in Asia to enter a global partnership with UNHCR. Along with sending used clothing items collected through its product recycling initiative to refugee camps, Fast Retailing provides a wide range of assistance, including refugee self-reliance programs, employing refugees in UNIQLO stores, and conducting awareness campaigns.
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