Uniqlo, the renowned Japanese fashion retailer, has opened its first store in Rome, marking a significant milestone in its Italian expansion. Located in the heart of the city on Via del Corso, the new flagship store spans three floors and offers a wide range of men’s, women’s and children’s collections.
To celebrate the opening, Uniqlo collaborated with local artists to create unique experiences for customers. The first 500 visitors were treated to a special breakfast by Roman pastry chef Fabrizio Fiorani and received a limited-edition tote bag designed by Simone Legno, founder of lifestyle brand Tokidoki.
The Rome store also introduced the UTme! project, a t-shirt customization service available for the first time in Italy. Uniqlo partnered with Roman artists Cecilia Sammarco and Giulio Castagnaro to create original designs that blend Japanese and Roman cultures, which customers can print on their personalized t-shirts.
In the basement of the store, the Re.Uniqlo Studio offers repair services with exclusive patches designed by Sammarco. Uniqlo has also teamed up with local tailor Le Tre Sarte to offer a bespoke experience for customers who want to give their Uniqlo garments a second life.
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Floral artist Dylan Tripp, one of the local faces of Uniqlo’s “Today’s Classic” advertising campaign for Rome, has created stunning floral arrangements for the space, including a special installation for the opening.
Mark Barnatovic, Chief Operating Officer of Uniqlo Italy, emphasized the importance of engaging with the local community to understand the city’s cultural value and unique lifestyle. “When planning our arrival to a city like Rome, our immediate attention went to the need of opening a dialogue with the local community, to grasp the city’s immense cultural value and better understand its unique lifestyle. Through a diverse network of partnerships with local artists, craftspeople, shops and popular gathering spots, we could get a gist of what it really means to be a Roman and were therefore able to narrate our LifeWear philosophy in the best way possible,” he said.
The opening of the Rome store is an important step in Uniqlo’s growth and expansion in Italy, following the successful launch of its first flagship in Milan in 2019. With more than 2,400 stores worldwide, Uniqlo continues to bring its high-quality, affordable fashion to customers around the world.
Uniqlo embarked on a journey to find Roman partners, starting with a collaboration with Perimetro, a global community of photographers. The project, called “Flight Crossing,” involved a unique exchange between Roman photographer Benedetta Ristori and her Tokyo-based counterpart, Ulysses Aoki. For one week, they swapped lives and captured their experiences through the lens of their cameras, offering a fresh perspective on each other’s cultures. The resulting images are now on display in a special exhibition at Galleria Alberto Sordi until April 28th.
Uniqlo also worked with BLA Studio, a creative agency, to develop a map that guides people to discover hidden gems around its store in Rome. The map highlights art galleries and lesser-known traditional restaurants, allowing visitors to explore the city’s best-kept secrets. In addition, Uniqlo partnered with Ridaje to adopt “Il Giardino del Diamante,” or “The Diamond Garden,” a green space in Rome. Ridaje, a local startup focused on improving the city’s urban environment, is dedicated to helping people reinvent themselves by training the homeless to become urban gardeners.
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