Last Updated: 2025.09.16
KAWS Joins UNIQLO as First Artist In Residence - New role to enhance Art For All initiatives and further the development of future LifeWear
UNIQLO CO., LTD.
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Photo Credit: Shaniqwa Jarvis
Global Apparel retailer UNIQLO today announced that KAWS, the contemporary artist renowned for his distinctive art style that subverts pop culture, has joined UNIQLO as the brand's first Artist In Residence. In this new role, KAWS will enhance initiatives under the UNIQLO philosophy of Art For All through art events held at UNIQLO stores around the world and alongside the brand's various museum partners. As Artist in Residence KAWS will also play a role in the development of future LifeWear products, with the first collection arriving in 2025 Fall/Winter.
"I am thrilled to be taking this next step with my longtime partner UNIQLO to become the brand's first Artist In Residence. In this role, I hope to tap into the art community and global creatives to curate the next generation of UNIQLO collaborators" said KAWS about his new appointment. "I am looking forward to working on exciting new kinds of LifeWear."
"In our ever-evolving world, art is now more important than ever as an expression of our humanity. KAWS has been breaking the traditional boundaries of the art world, just as Uniqlo in its efforts to redefine the apparel industry through LifeWear" said President of Global Creative of Fast Retailing, John C Jay. "As our Artist In Residence, KAWS will help Uniqlo to expand the global appreciation and participation of art and creativity for all."
Artist In Residence
UNIQLO has a long history of collaborating with various artists, designers, and other creatives at the forefront of culture. The Artist In Residence role will be a comprehensive position that serves to introduce new collaborators, propose new creative concepts, play an active part in future UT Grand Prix competitions, and join events alongside UNIQLO Global Brand ambassadors.
As the first Artist In Residence, KAWS will work to enhance the LifeWear philosophy of Art For All alongside UNIQLO museum partners and through events at UNIQLO Global Flagship Stores around the world. KAWS will also play a role in the development of future LifeWear products beyond UT (UNIQLO T-shirt), with the first collection arriving in Fall/Winter 2025.
■ UNIQLO and KAWS Collaboration Collections
- 2016:
- Spring/ Summer UT KAWS
- 2017:
- Spring/ Summer KAWS × PEANUTS
- 2018:
- Spring/ Summer KAWS × SESAME STREET
- 2019:
- Spring/ Summer KAWS:SUMMER
- 2021:
- Spring/ Summer KAWS TOKYO FIRST
- 2023:
- Fall/Winter UT KAWS (KAWS art book)
- 2024:
- Fall/Winter KAWS + Warhol
Past UT collections featuring KAWS can be viewed on the UNIQLO UT Archive website:
https://www.uniqlo.com/jp/en/contents/feature/ut-archive/about/
About KAWS
KAWS engages audiences beyond the museums and galleries in which he regularly exhibits. Over the last three decades, KAWS has built a successful career with work that consistently shows his formal agility as an artist, as well as his underlying wit, irreverence, and affection for our times. He has collaborated extensively with UNIQLO since 2016.
UNIQLO Art For All
For over a decade, UNIQLO has been committed to enhancing daily life through the appreciation of great art. The company endeavors to educate and increase public access and engagement with the most prominent art institutions in the world, including MoMA, Tate, the Louvre and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. These deep relationships with the world's greatest museums are an expression of the UNIQLO LifeWear philosophy of Art for All.
For more information about UNIQLO museum partnerships, click here.
