Uniqlo has recently announced that the Shochiku Kabuki X Uniqlo Project collection will launch in France on Friday, March 20, and in other countries thereafter. A collaboration with Shochiku Co., Ltd., a major Kabuki, film and theater company in Japan, it showcases Japanese traditions in pop culture through clothing. The Japan launch is planned for Uniqlo stores nationwide and the online store on Thursday, March 26. The collection will be available in Malaysia on 16th April onward.
The T-shirts, central to the collection, faithfully recreate the symbolism and patterns of Kabuki kimonos. Shochiku’s Kabuki costumes are painstaking made to measure from hand-drawn designs. NIGO replicated their splendor, faithfully retaining their colors and patterns.
Other design inspirations are Ennosuke IV’s stage make-up, and NIGO retained their vibrant contrasts and blurring by applying a four-color printing technique, with a life-sized imprint. T-shirts based on a costume used in the performance of Omatsuri (The Festival) feature Mitsuzaru (the Three Monkeys), which is the Ichikawa family crest. A Kimono design touch locates the family crest around the neck and shoulder line, for a hint of Old Tokyo chic. The collection also includes products based on costumes from popular Kabuki plays and related patterns.
