Uniqlo looked no further than a bunch of athletes in helping the brand create high-performance activewear. Under the "Everyday Performance" concept, the Uniqlo+ LifeWear collection is the fruit of joint efforts with Sweden's top athletes.
Since 2019, the global apparel retailer has been the Official Clothing Partner for the Swedish Olympic and Paralympic teams.
Its first team brand ambassador was later established as Uniqlo Team Sweden, whose members include athletes that represent various sports such as boxing, football, swimming, wheelchair table tennis and wrestling.
Available only at the CentralWorld and online stores, the Uniqlo+ collection was inspired by direct input and testing feedback from the athletes, as well as other global brand ambassadors.
Items in the new line optimise comfort, even in sweltering summer conditions. Development also took place at the Basic Research Institute, located within Uniqlo headquarters in Tokyo.
The new laboratory is equipped with a Weather Simulation Chamber that reproduces midsummer temperature and humidity conditions, for functional experiments to map heat, perspiration and movement zones on the human body during exercise.
The findings were used to enhance breathability and moisture permeability of the innovative activewear. The palette includes Sweden's blue and yellow, light grey and other colours that remain cool for optimal comfort.
Following Uniqlo's commitment to sustainability, recycled materials and eco-friendly manufacturing techniques were employed in the production.
For instance, recycled polyester made from discarded PET plastic bottles and polyester fibers made from renewable biomass were incorporated into the fabrics, while fluorine-free water repellents were used in making Uniqlo's lightest ever parka.
