August 8, 2024, Kuala Lumpur – Global apparel retailer UNIQLO today announces the launch of a new UT (UNIQLO T-shirt) collection commemorating the KAWS + Warhol exhibition currently on view at The Andy Warhol Museum in the United States, which will also tour internationally. Items will be available at UNIQLO stores worldwide and via the uniqlo.com online store from Friday, August 23rd.
UNIQLO presents a new unique collaboration between Andy Warhol (1928-1987), a seminal figure in 20th-century art, and KAWS, a leading artist in contemporary art. Combining iconography from both artist’s well-known bodies of work, the collection gives everyone an opportunity to feel close to their art. An art book for the KAWS + Warhol exhibition will also be available exclusively at UNIQLO stores and through uniqlo.com in advance of the publisher’s general release.
Capsule collection from sweats to jackets
The KAWS + Warhol UT Collection, available in full exclusively at UNIQLO*, was made in collaboration with The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, which has for many years continued Warhol’s legacy by presenting art to the world through commercial products created with UNIQLO. The wide range of designs feature KAWS’s popular characters together with Warhol’s famous imagery. Along with T-shirts, the capsule collection includes sweatshirts, coach jackets, socks, tote bags, and a kids’ lineup. All customers, from adults to children, can enjoy the worlds of KAWS and Andy Warhol.
* Some items from the collection will also be available for purchase at the exhibition.
Art book global pre-release
An art book for The KAWS + Warhol exhibition will be available exclusively at UNIQLO stores nationwide and the UNIQLO online store in advance of the publisher’s general release. This new book showcases the art of KAWS and Andy Warhol side-by-side, drawing comparisons and new meanings between two of the most popular artists of the modern era in a way that has never been done before. The substantial content includes an interview with KAWS, essays by art historians and curators, and installation views from the exhibition*. Customers who purchase the book from UNIQLO will also receive a limited-edition shoulder bag as a gift. UNIQLO will also conduct a social media campaign that gives customers the chance to win a copy of the art book autographed by KAWS. Furthermore, a huge display of KAWS’s “COMPANION” and reproductions of Warhol artwork featured in the apparel collection will be featured at UNIQLO stores around the world. In Malaysia, the display will be available at the UNIQLO Fahrenheit88 store starting August 8.
* The art book can be purchased through the website of the publisher (Phaidon Press) from August 23 (Friday), but won’t be shipped until the end of September.
| UT Collection Special Website: | https://www.uniqlo.com/my/en/special-feature/24fw/ut/kaws-warhol |
| KAWS + Warhol Exhibition Website: | https://www.warhol.org/exhibition/kaws-warhol/ |
Comments on the Collection
KAWS
“I am pleased to be launching the KAWS + Warhol exhibition catalogue exclusively with my longtime partner UNIQLO. I am humbled to have the opportunity to show my work alongside Andy Warhol, a visionary whose art continues to inspire generations. To celebrate the occasion, UNIQLO is releasing a capsule collection that places our work together, mirroring the way the exhibition at The Andy Warhol Museum displays our work side-by-side.”
Michael Dayton Hermann
Director of Licensing, Marketing, and Sales, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
“The Andy Warhol Foundation is delighted to team up with KAWS and UNIQLO to celebrate Warhol’s continued relevance in fresh and unexpected ways through this dynamic collaboration. Proceeds from this impactful collection will generously support the philanthropic work of the Foundation in fulfilling its mission to advance the visual arts.”
Patrick Moore
Former Director, The Andy Warhol Museum & Curator of the KAWS + Warhol exhibition
“The exhibition KAWS + Warhol actually 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 catalogue reaching an enormous international audience.”
Collaboration Overview
| Launch date: | August 23, 2024 (Friday) |
| Availability: | All UNIQLO stores in Malaysia and the uniqlo.com online store
* Items may not be available at some stores. KIDS items available only at stores with a KIDS section, and through the online store |
Product Lineup
| MEN Short Sleeve T-shirt | RM59.90 |
| MEN Sweatshirt | RM129.90 |
| MEN Sweatpants | RM129.90 |
| MEN Coach Jacket | RM199.90 |
| MEN Socks | RM14.90 |
| KIDS Short Sleeve T-shirt | RM39.90 |
| KIDS Sweatshirt | RM79.90 |
| KIDS Sweatpants | RM79.90 |
| KIDS Coach Jacket | RM149.90 |
| GOODS Tote Bag | RM79.90 |
| KAWS ARTBOOK | RM299.90 |
Limited edition shoulder bag gift
Customers who purchase the KAWS + Warhol ARTBOOK will receive a limited-edition collaboration shoulder bag featuring a print with the KAWS character “BFF” and Warhol’s banana.
Notes:
- Gift limited to one per person buying an art book.
- Art books and shoulder bags available while stocks last.
- General sales of the art book to start at the end of September. See the website of publisher Phaidon Press for details.
KAWS
KAWS engages audiences beyond the museums and galleries in which he regularly exhibits. Over the last two 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, including by providing designs for the PEACE FOR ALL charity project in 2022, which have been hugely successful worldwide.
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
As the preeminent American artist of the 20th century, Andy Warhol challenged the world to see art differently. Since its founding in 1987, in accordance with Warhol’s will, The Andy Warhol Foundation has established itself among the leading funders of contemporary art in the United States. The Foundation has distributed nearly $300 million in cash grants which support the creation, presentation and documentation of contemporary visual arts, particularly work that is experimental, under-recognized or challenging in nature. The Foundation’s ongoing efforts to protect and enhance its founder’s creative legacy ensure that Warhol’s inventive, open-minded spirit will have a profound impact on the visual arts for generations to come. Proceeds the Foundation receives from licensing projects such as this contribute to the Foundation’s endowment from which these grants are distributed. www.warholfoundation.org.
