Urban Takeover - Japanese Style: Two New Uniqlo Stores

It looks like the suits at Uniqlo’s head office are planning to take over the world H&M style with the brand's affordable trendy style of clothing. Just after opening a megastore in Soho, New York; the Japanese clothing brand has come back to London looking sleek and sexy with two new stores in Oxford Street.

There hasn't been this much hype about a new store opening since the original TopShop flgship opened up the road, and it's not just about a massive new store; things are looking different at Uniqlo.

The company has worked hard on its image; the logo has been updated, with a more distincitve typeface and Japanese characters. You may have seen the current 'Uniqlo People' advertising campaign featuring UK rapper Dizzee Rascal, actor Samantha Morton and Skins star Nicholas Hoult. It's not far from the brand you know, but you'll notice the difference and so will shoppers who wouldn't have given Uniqlo a second glance a year ago.

There are two new stores on Oxford Street, a giant 25,000 square foot flagship on the west side and a smaller store in the east (number 170). Uniqlo has spent around £10m on the two stores, calling in Japan’s top graphic and interior designers to decorate its new ‘stunning architectural landmark’.

The store has a feel of clean, modern Japanese efficiency interlaced with street-friendly elements of Uniqlo’s Harajuku T shirt store, where consumers get to pick T-shirts in neatly labelled cannisters. One of the novel collections at the store is the Pantone cashmere range made in collaboration with the colour company. Shoppers can buy cashmere sweaters in 20 Pantone colours.

When Uniqlo came onto the London scene a few years ago, the warm and friendly branding promised to be exciting but in reality it delivered a slightly dull alternative to gap which sold nice T-shirts and affordable but uninspiring pullovers. Over the years, Uniqlo has featured more exciting collections, gained a little more edge and and worked on the sizing and cut of its clothes.

The company recently told the Financial Times that the design process was changed because most Uniqlo garments were modelled on the average Japanese consumer. Now they should fit the average western consumer's body shape and size much better.

The opening

While the crowds gathered outside to watch the obligatory ribbon-cutting, Dizzee Rascal warmed the store up with an early morning gig on the shop floor. Our our snapper happened to be at opening events:

Uniqlo, 311 Oxford St, London and 170 Oxford St
www.uniqlo.com