KAWS, artist, entrepreneur, and hypebeast patron saint, has a new first on his CV: Uniqlo’s inaugural artist-in-residence. Starting immediately, he’ll be tasked with expanding the Japanese company’s “Art for All” philosophy, according to the clothing company.
More specifically, KAWS (aka Brian Donnelly) will curate art events across its stores worldwide and collaborate with the brand’s various museum partners, which include the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate Modern, the Louvre, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Fans of the brand will have noted that in recent years, Uniqlo products have featured famed artworks from those respective museum collections.
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KAWS’s own cross-eyed Companion—a giant version of which stands in the Brooklyn Museum lobby—is no stranger to merchandising itself. The artist and Uniqlo have worked together since 2016, and Companion has appeared on Uniqlo garments since then. It’s unclear, however, if Companion will appear in the artist’s first collection with Uniqlo, scheduled for Fall/Winter 2025.
“I am thrilled to be taking this next step with my longtime partner UNIQLO to become the brand’s first Artist in Residence,” KAWS said in a statement. He continued: “In this role, I hope to tap into the art community and global creatives to curate the next generation of UNIQLO collaborators.”
John C Jay, president of global creative of Uniqlo’s Fast Retailing, had this to add: “In our ever-evolving world, art is now more important than ever as an expression of our humanity. KAWS has been breaking the traditional boundaries of the art world, just as Uniqlo [has] in its efforts to redefine the apparel industry through LifeWear. As our Artist in Residence, KAWS will help Uniqlo to expand the global appreciation and participation of art and creativity for all.”