Uniqlo Is on the Lookout for the Best Summer Looks, Expands Business in the U.S.

Earlier this year, the Japanese lifestyle brand Uniqlo launched a fashion community UNIQLOOKS for those who like to create new outfits made of the brand’s items, share their ‘mix-and-match’ efforts with other people around the globe, who rate the entries with Facebook ‘Likes.’ Now, the brand is inviting its fans to show off their unique summer looks with the other fashionistas for a chance to win a trip to one of five world’s fashion hotspots and receive Uniqlo gift vouchers.

The competition is running through July 18—to partake, entrants just have to upload their self-designed looks to the contest page and get their friends and other visitors vote for their submissions. On July 19, twenty most popular entries (the ones with the most Facebook ‘Likes’) will be shortlisted and revealed to public. Then, these top looks will be judged by Uniqlo and acclaimed stylist Nicola Formichetti, who worked with Lady Gaga—they will name three grand winners on August 1. The company will provide the lucky guys with a pair of tickets for a three-night, four-day trip to the city of their choice—New York, London, Paris, Shanghai or Tokyo—where they will visit the Uniqlo flagship store and get inspired to create new looks to wear and to share through the community. In addition to this, UNIQLOOKS will feature their outfits as suggested looks for this summer, and the brand will award the runner-ups with summer wear coupons each worth $50.

Uniqlo is expanding its presence in the USA, and, according to AdAge, has invited Todd Waterbury, former co-executive creative director of Wieden & Kennedy, New York, to help it to realize the plans. As for now, he’s focused on the fall launch of the brand’s second and third stores in NYC. Waterbury shared on the creative approach Uniqlo will use to support the launch of the new stores in North America, “It will be Japanese, with a New York inflection. What continues to inspire me, both being in Japan and working with Uniqlo, is to understand and witness the civility the Japanese culture has. Being a Japanese organization is very much about the importance of being respectful and useful and generous. I’m really paying attention to how those qualities manifest themselves in a way that we begin to introduce ourselves to New York and the world outside of Japan