Last Updated: 2021.01.29
UNIQLO to Partner with Musée du Louvre from 2021 - Sharing the pleasure of art widely with original apparel designs and free access
UNIQLO CO., LTD.
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Global apparel retailer UNIQLO welcomes the year 2021 by announcing a four-year partnership with Musée du Louvre in Paris. The aim of the new partnership is to offer a wide-ranging program that matches the desire of both parties to better familiarize the public with the museum's must-see masterpieces and thereby increase the joy of art in daily life.
"I am honored and excited to be partnering with the world-renowned Musée du Louvre. This is a longtime dream come true," said Fast Retailing Chairman, President, and CEO Tadashi Yanai. "UNIQLO has done much to date to share the pleasure of art with the general public, especially in keeping with our commitment to LifeWear, which is clothing designed to help make everyone's daily life better. We hope that our partnership with the museum can enable as many people as possible to experience and appreciate the universal beauty of the masterworks in their collections."
As the first initiative in the program, the UNIQLO T-shirt (UT) brand will debut Musée du Louvre Collection on February 4, with date to differ by market. The men's UT line was created by prominent British graphic artist Peter Saville, well-known for revolutionizing record cover designs in the early 80's, especially for Joy Division and New Order. His sophisticated graphic approach to the new collection concentrates on the inventory number system that museums use to catalog the works of art. Additionally UNIQLO will launch women's UTs featuring Louvre works with a focus on the female form as a universal message for diversity and expand its overall collection with new items through 2024.
Starting spring 2021, UNIQLO will take over sponsorship of the Free Saturday Nights program that began in January 2019. Designed as unique, festive occasions, these night openings are aimed at encouraging new visitors to learn about the Louvre and its artworks in a more relaxed environment. For this purpose, the museum's opening hours are extended on the first Saturday of each month from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Visitors are invited to wander through the three wings of the Louvre, discovering masterpieces of art history and the little-known corners of the former palace of the kings of France.
Free Saturday Nights is popular; 160,000 people participated in 2019, mainly families and people working in the Paris region. Although temporarily suspended due to the current pandemic, this program is expected to resume its usual rhythm on the first Saturday of each month.
The UNIQLO partnership with the Louvre also includes support of the Mini-Discovery Tour, a new format launched by the Louvre in July 2020. Mostly dedicated to families, these 20 minutes guided tours will take place on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
For more information about the partnership, including videos of interviews with museum personnel and comments from Peter Saville, please access website
https://www.uniqlo.com/louvre-x-uniqlo/
NOTES:
Musée du Louvre
Formerly a royal palace, the Louvre has embraced the history of France for eight centuries. Open to the public since 1793, the Louvre collections are among the finest in the world, encompassing several thousands of years and spread across a large territory from America to the confines of Asia. Divided among eight departments, the collections feature works admired throughout the globe, including the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the Venus de Milo. After the French Revolution, the Louvre was created as a place where artists could admire the great masters and look for inspiration. Even today, the Louvre remains a place of inspiration for the greatest contemporary creators, architects, painters, sculptors, dancers, and musicians.
Musée du Louvre will launch an online store to showcase future collaborations, including the most recent one with UNIQLO. More information on boutique.louvre.fr
UNIQLO Engagement with Art
UNIQLO has partnered with some of the world's preeminent museums to deepen public interest in art through free admission programs, collaboration merchandise, events, and other initiatives. Listed below are key partnerships that UNIQLO has formed in this regard:
| May 2013 - present | MoMA (Museum of Modern Art), New York City |
|---|---|
| Mar. 2016 - Dec. 2020 | Tate Modern, London |
| Sept. 2017 - present | MFA (Museum of Fine Arts), Boston |
| Mar. 2018 - present | MACBA (Museum of Contemporary Art), Barcelona |
About UT (UNIQLO T-shirt)
The UT brand first launched in 2007. UT has since offered an array of authentic pop culture and art graphics from across the world that allow the wearer to express their individuality in keeping with its 'Wear Your World' slogan. Offering something for everyone, the range continues to evolve each season befitting the LifeWear concept.
UNIQLO Stores in France
The first UNIQLO store opened in France in December 2007, in the Parisian suburb of La Défense. The UNIQLO Paris Opéra Store, the third UNIQLO global flagship store after those in New York and London, opened in October 2009. Today the store network in France has expanded to 22 locations including Paris and other key cities such as Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon and Marseille.
