Uniqlo will be getting a touch of the Hermès ethos this fall, when the Japanese retailer releases their first collaboration with French designer (and Hermès alum) Christophe Lemaire. Expect Lemaire’s simple-yet-luxurious approach to design, albeit at more attainable price points. “We have always dreamt to work with Uniqlo. Uniqlo designs qualitative and made for all garments for everyday life. It is also our approach to fashion, and the philosophy of Lemaire,” he said in a statement. The coed collection will be available in stores and online. This isn’t the first time Uniqlo has tapped a well-known French chicster for a collaboration: this spring Inès de la Fressange released her second collection for the label. Other high-end collaborators with the brand, which is owned by Fast Retailing, have included Suno and Jil Sander.
Lemaire stepped down from his position as creative director at Hermès last summer to focus on the growth of his own brand. All seems to be going according to plan, as he recently introduced e-commerce to his own site. Plus, the next step for the designer’s namesake brand includes a plan to open a brick-and-mortar boutique, in either New York or Paris, as Lemaire told Business of Fashion. What else is new for Lemaire? The designer recently rebranded, settling on the name Lemaire to market the threads he creates alongside co-designer and life partner Sarah-Linh Tran. The label was formerly known as Christophe Lemaire.
