Jil Sander’s for Uniqlo has been dubbed +J.
Wednesday Uniqlo unveiled the name and simple black logo in sans serif font, true to the designer’s minimalist sensibility.
The Japanese fast-fashion brand, which is owned by Fast Retailing Co. Ltd., and the German designer had to find a creative detour around the fact that Japanese firm Onward Holdings Co. Ltd. owns the designer’s former fashion house and retains commercial rights to her full name.
Sander’s creative role at Uniqlo extends beyond the +J collection to the brand’s other apparel and accessories for men and women. But it is understood that the designer is focusing her initial efforts on the fall-winter launch of this new collection, flying frequently between her home in Hamburg, Germany, and Tokyo.
The +J collection will be sold at Uniqlo’s flagships in major cities and on the brand’s own Web site. A release date has not been established yet, said a Fast Retailing spokeswoman.
The collection will consist of about 40 pieces for men and 100 for women, including coats, jackets, knitwear, T-shirts and accessories, the spokeswoman said. She declined to disclose price information.
The Japanese company is keeping most details of the collection under wraps, but it released a photo showing the top portion of a tailored white shirt bearing a +J label. It also distributed an image of a hang tag bearing the logo and a message exalting the importance of quality and simplicity in design.
“Basics are the common language. The future is here: +J,” the tag reads.
Sander’s collaboration with Uniqlo, announced in March, marks her long-awaited comeback to the fashion world. It has been about five years since she left her namesake house after clashing with the brand’s then-owner, Prada Group.
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