Global apparel retailer Uniqlo is launching a new UT (Uniqlo T-shirt) collection on August 23, featuring a unique collaboration between contemporary artist KAWS and 20th-century icon Andy Warhol.
The collection celebrates the ongoing KAWS + Warhol exhibition at The Andy Warhol Museum in the U.S., which will also tour internationally.
Created in partnership with The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the KAWS + Warhol UT Collection blends the distinct styles of both artists, offering a range of items including T-shirts, sweatshirts, coach jackets, and tote bags. A special lineup for children will also be available.
In addition to the clothing line, Uniqlo will exclusively offer an art book dedicated to the KAWS + Warhol exhibition, available ahead of its general release. The book includes interviews with KAWS, essays by art historians, and installation views, providing a comprehensive look at the intersection of the two artists’ works. Customers who purchase the art book through Uniqlo will receive a limited-edition shoulder bag as a gift.
Special displays of KAWS’s Companion figure and reproductions of Warhol’s artwork will be featured in select Uniqlo stores globally, including the Manila Flagship Store in Glorietta 5 and the SM Mall of Asia.
KAWS expressed his excitement about the collaboration, noting the significance of showcasing his work alongside Warhol’s, while The Andy Warhol Foundation highlighted the partnership’s role in supporting its philanthropic efforts. Patrick Moore, former director of The Andy Warhol Museum and curator of the exhibition, emphasized Uniqlo’s role in bridging commercial and fine art, reaching a vast international audience.
“The exhibition KAWS + Warhol wouldn’t have felt complete without the broad commercial reach of Uniqlo. Both of these artists have disrupted the traditional boundaries between commercial and fine art as an integral part of their practice. Uniqlo’s role moves seamlessly between the exhibition, merchandise, and a beautiful catalog, reaching an enormous international audience,” said Moore.
The KAWS + Warhol UT Collection will be available at Uniqlo online and in physical stores worldwide. The art book can be pre-ordered on the publisher Phaidon Press’s website, with shipping expected by the end of September.
