The next big-deal "masstige" collection (mass+prestige) to hit after Gap Design Editions will be Alexander Wang's effort for Uniqlo. We're about a month and a half away from Wang's mass-market debut, and as such, it's only to be expected that photos of his work will leak to the net. On that note, here's another look at those dresses Style File previewed last month, courtesy of the UK's Style Bubble. From the look of things, this collection is going to do remarkably well, so you should expect a high level of shopping insanity come May 30th.
· Uniqlo's Wonderful Wang [Style Bubble]
· More Photos of Uniqlo Designer Lines Hit the Net [Racked]
While in Soho for the Marimekko tribute collectionat H&M this morning, Racked dropped by Uniqlo to check out what was left of the Tim Hamilton and Juliana Jabour lines that debuted three weeks ago. Good news for those who haven't made it over to the store yet: there's plenty left. Of the Hamilton goods, we saw only one small and one medium button down, but there were plenty of larges in gray, blue and red. A few cardigans remained, and the racks were heavy with jackets, jeans and khakis.
Before kicking off your Saturday, take a moment, won't you, to peruse the top Racked stories of the past week.
1) Chelsea: The soon-to-shutter Chelsea Barnes & Noble store cleared its shelves this week with a massive sale. It's time to say adios to those free public bathrooms.
2) West Village: A Domino blogger offended half the West Village with a simple post about a Marc Jacobs store employee's website. The internet: still ruining lives.
3) Greenwich Village: Keffiyehs made a triumphant return to Urban Outfitters's shelves. Urban is calling them "desert scarves."
Racked has just returned from the Tim Hamilton and Juliana Jabour Uniqlo capsule collection launches in Soho, and per our previous report, it was a quick and mostly painless shopping experience. As the doors swung open at 10am, the 20 men waiting in line shot straight over to the Tim Hamilton corner to the left. Like a school of piranhas, they silently devoured the clothing, grabbing nearly one of everything. The button-down, lauded in The Times' Fashion blog earlier this week, got hit the hardest. Also popular were the men's cardigans (so hot right now, those men's cardigans!). The denim and sweatshirts were a little lackluster, but considering that almost every piece in the line is only $39.50, the collection is an overall winner. Good news for latecomers: the Uniqlo staff confirmed that they are replenishing with backroom inventory, so you can still score the reversible jacket ($39.50), denim ($49.50), or beloved button-down ($39.50).
The scene outside of Uniqlo at 9:30am this morning
Tim Hamilton and Juliana Jabour will have their Designer Invitation Project lines for Uniqlo debut today, this morning, almostrightnowomg at 10 AM. We've been giddy with anticipation about these lines for months—and the collections from Loden Dager and Alexander Wang, too—but it seems New Yorkers in general are a little slower on the embrace. Maybe it's that a few pieces are already for sale on ebay; or it could be that Uniqlo's PR missteps and botched frenzy campaign are leaving a mark; or it's possible people just aren't feeling the whole modern Bruno Munari vibe. But for whatever reason at present there is no line whatsoever at the store, according to our peeps in Soho. More to come, especially after the doors open.
ONLINE—Though the Tim Hamilton and Juliana Jabour collections for Uniqlo won't roll out stateside 'til tomorrow, they debuted in Japan last week and clothing from the limited-edition lines is alreadyup on eBay. There are five Jabour pieces listed (three dresses, two shirts, all medium), and three Tim Hamilton cardigans. [eBay]
MEATPACKING—Designer Adam Lippes will be hosting a dog adoption event in his Hudson Street store Adamthis next weekend. Shoppers will be able to adopt ASPCA pets from noon to 5pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday; if you already own a canine, you can bring it by for free treats. [GlamChic]
Though Racked has been compelely obsessed with Uniqlo and its Designers Invitation Project for as long as we've been around, the feeling doesn't really seem to be mutual. The retailer's PR team has made it difficult, if not impossible, to get information about and photos of any of the collaborations Uniqlo's done with designers. Thankfully, a Racked informant has stepped up to fill the void. He writes:
After seeing some pics of Tim Hamilton and Juliana Jabour collection from Uniqlo (partially and cropped off) on your blog and others, it makes me wonder what's going on with Uniqlo's PR firm even more. I used to work for Uniqlo and know how much they worship fashion editors and press (hint tragic sample sale). The collections are going to sale around the end of this month and they still didn't release the news to media or internet officially or even on the always confusing and useless US website. Enough bitching lol. Here is what I found on Uniqlo Japan promotional website. It has the launch date, collection pics, designer interviews and profiles. Too bad they are all in Japanese. This is what the US site should wake up and follow.
Slowly but surely, despite the Uniqlo PR team's best efforts to keep a lid on things, photos of the company's soon-to-be-released designer collaborations (Alexander Wang, Loden Dager, Juliana Jabour) have leaked onto the net. Today, We Are The Market previewsTim Hamilton's efforts for the retailer with four tiny, tiny photos that we've posted for you above. According to Tim, his inspiration for the project was 'the modern, playful images of Bruno Munari’s photo-reportage.' Expect to find 'workmen’s shirts rendered in fine cottons, t-shirts given elevated details', bias-cut knits and, from the look of things, lots of cardigans. The line will launch at Uniqlo on March 28th, to be followed by Wang's and Dager's on May 30th.
· Tim Hamilton For Uniqlo [We Are The Market]
· Uniqlo Confirms Wang, Jabour for Designer Invitation Project [Racked]
· Loden Dager for Uniqlo, Previewed [Racked]
SOHO—British fast-fashion chain Topshop has begun recruiting for its first US store at 478 Broadway in Soho. They are "looking for the best retail talent to open and run this exciting new venture." You must love skinny jeans, Kate Moss. [RackedWire]
SOHO—A well-informed Racked tipster checks in with some much-appreciated info on Uniqlo's upcoming designer collections: "BTW, the launch date for Tim Hamilton for Uniqlo is March 28th and Loden Dager+Alexander Wang are May 30th. I got the inside info from the company." Expect serious lines, especially for the latter. [RackedWire Inbox]
MIDTOWN EAST—The strangerumblings surrounding Brioni's midtown shops continue. A Racked source reports that it's the women's store that the company is trying to offload, and that the men's is staying put. "Right now they have three shops, one on 52nd Street and two on 57th Street. From what I hear, they are looking to get out of the lease for the women's store at 67 E 57th. Maybe women's isn't selling as well?" This could also have something to do with the mysterious departure of designer Cristina Ortiz, who quietly left the company for a position as chief designer at Ferragamo. [RackedWire Inbox]
A photo of one of the looks from the Alexander Wang for Uniqlo collection has hit the web. "True to the designer's signature sexy-tough aesthetic, the pieces are a mix of silky lightweight dresses and chambray jumpsuits, all in shades of gray, white, and black. An exact on-sale date hasn't been firmed up yet, but the clothes will likely be available sometime during the last week of May." [Style File]
Japanese chain Uniqlo has finally publicly confirmed the rumor that Alexander Wang has put together a collection for the retailer. The news comes in this morning's issue of WWD, which, disappointingly, doesn't feature any photos of Wang's designs, but does give readers a peek at the work of lesser-known (in the States at least) Brazilian designer Juliana Jabour (pictured above), whose clothes will hit stores this month. You'd think that the trade rag, with their ability to score exclusives, would run some more images (or larger ones, at least), but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, Jabour and Wang will of course join Tim Hamilton and Loden Dager for Uniqlo's Designer Invitation Project, which boasts alums like Phillip Lim and Alice Roi. From the article:
[Juliana Jabour] created a bubble dress and boatneck dress in sophisticated prints. She also designed a low-waisted tunic and sleeveless top to be worn with jeans. Hamilton's men's collection also hits stores this month. In May, Wang's color-blocked pleated dresses and tucked sleeveless dress will be available, as well as Dager's bright separates for men. Items in the capsule collections range from $29 to $79. Each will remain in stores for one month and will feature eight looks.
Building on the success of previous Designer Invitation Projects (3.1 Phillip Lim, Alexandre Plokhov, Alice Roi), Uniqlo is about to debut two more designer collections. The first comes to us from Loden Dager, the second from Tim Hamilton (which will hit stores in April). Material Interest has photos of Loden's tailored six-style menswear line, which includes "basics like trousers, button-down shirts, polos, and over-the-knee shorts, as well as a truncated, notch-lapel two-button blazer with shirting material lining the sleeves—each available for under 80 bucks." The company has not acknowledged the rumors that Alexander Wang may also be putting together a low-priced line, but it wouldn't surprise us at all if they had an ace up their sleeve.
· An exclusive first look at Loden Dager for Uniqlo [Material Interest]
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SOHO—British fast-fashion chain Topshop has 
