A corner of first UNIQLO store in Ha Noi. — VNS Photo Thuy Hang
The Japanese clothing retailer UNIQLO opens its first store in Ha Noi today at the Vincom Pham Ngoc Thach Shopping Complex in Dong Da District.
Speaking at a media preview yesterday, Osamu Ikezoe, General Director, Chief Operating Officer – UNIQLO Vietnam, said the history and culture of the capital was the main inspiration to open the store here.
“The new store will offer international-level shopping experience, which harmonises the brand’s LifeWear motto and the local Vietnamese culture,” he said.
LifeWear is the UNIQLO commitment to creating perfect clothing that everyone’s needs.
In a two-storey venue with the total area of 2,500 square metres, the Ha Noi store is one of the largest UNIQLO stores in Southeast Asia.
Alongside popular products that have been hailed by customers across the world, the store in Ha Noi will introduce the newest Spring/Summer 2020 UNIQLO U collection, created in the brand’s Paris atelier by artistic director Christophe Lemaire.
Bamboo structure created by international award-winning architect Vo Trong Nghia for UNIQLO store in Ha Noi. — VNS Photo Thuy Hang
Customers will have the chance to purchase products from the collection UT Mickey Stands. Created for the Vietnamese market only, these products feature monopoly designs, which present symbolic images of Viet Nam such as non la (conical hat), lotus and motorbike.
Customers can also have their own customised T-shirt by selecting one of 20 designs by painter Vu Tuan Anh, inspired by common Ha Noi sights such as the cyclo and áo dài traditional dress. A T-shirt printing machine has been set up in the store to offer customers this service.
Aiming to connect with local culture, UNIQLO invited Vietnamese international award-winning architect Vo Trong Nghia to create a decorative structure out of bamboo on the second floor of the store.
Art installation “Garden” seen at the UNIQLO Ha Noi store. — VNS Photo Thuy Hang
The store also includes an art corner with an installation entitled Garden. Inspired by the artwork Plastic Trees by Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine Tayou, the artwork in Ha Noi was created from used plastic items, presenting a message about the harmful effects of plastic garbage.
“Incoming months, this corner will also dedicate to artworks created by autistic children in Ha Noi,” said Ikezoe.
Established in Japan in 1984, UNIQLO now has more than 2,200 stores worldwide, of which more than half are located outside of Japan.
In Viet Nam, the brand’s first ever store opened in HCM City last December. — VNS