One piece of clothing has been central to me for the last two years and it's the cotton and rayon three-quarter pants from Uniqlo. I have been buying these Relaco 3/4 pants since it was first introduced but I have not used them as often as I did when the pandemic struck and we were all home-bound.
I wake up, cook, work from home and play with my son in them. It's the most versatile home wear bottom, ever. The one with Airism technology that's stretchable is even better but its colour choices are limited. I use four, on rotation, and buy a new one when it's frayed after hundreds of washes.
With a selection of lounge wear people depend on during lockdown, it is no surprise that when fashion brands struggled, Uniqlo thrived.
According to a Reuters report in January, Fast Retailing, the brand's parent company, reported "a sharp rise in operating profit... with a 23.3 per cent growth to ¥113 billion ($1.08 billion) owing to strong sales from Uniqlo's operations in Japan and Greater China, alongside a rising performance from budget-label GU."
In Malaysia, when stores were closed, the Uniqlo app and website had a banner to inform customers of possible late deliveries due to the surge in orders. People were not venturing out. They were buying clothes to stay home in.
And that's the secret. Uniqlo makes clothes for how people live.
CHANGING NEEDS
Its Malaysia and Singapore chief executive officer Yuki Yamada says the brand's philosophy of clothing centres on LifeWear, which is clothing designed to make everyone's life better.
"Since the onset of the pandemic about two years ago, life in Malaysia has changed. People are doing more from home — from working, exercising, and shopping to entertainment — and this new lifestyle has changed people's attitude towards clothing.
"Looking trendy or formal is no longer as important as staying comfortable, and the line between work wear and casual wear has blurred, especially when you are working from home," he says in an e-mail interview.
Yamada says when the pandemic began, the brand focused on providing what people need.
"One of the most relevant items we launched last year was the Airism face mask. It provides comfort and protection with filtration functionality and is now commonly used as part of double-masking in Malaysia."
Airism is available in a full range of products, from innerwear to crew-neck shirts, bottoms and bedsheets, useful for staying comfortable in tropical heat and humidity.
Early this month, the brand added Absorbent Sanitary Shorts in its line-up, an innerwear with technology to support women during menstruation, so they no longer need disposable sanitary pads.
Yamada says the pandemic has changed people's clothing needs as they discovered the comfort of lounge wear.
"We believe customers will continue to come back even when they are spending less time at home in the future," he says.
NOT FAST FASHION
Yamada says the brand's philosophy was born from a vision that extends beyond fashion. So while in volume and store numbers, it feels like Uniqlo is a fast fashion label, in function and clothing style, it isn't.
"We're in the business of making high-quality clothing that improves people's lives. Our clothes are made to last and we are definitely not about fast fashion," he says.
"We introduce new collections every season not to chase trends, but to inspire people with up-to-date and stylish clothing that fit their needs. A good example is our latest Fall Winter collection, made up of timeless and practical pieces for people to get back into their lives while the fight against the pandemic continues," he says.
GOING LOCAL
Like other brand's festive edits, Uniqlo celebrates the festivities in countries where it operates.
"From adding a touch of traditional Malay baju kurung and baju Melayu for our Hari Raya collection, including the culturally-inspired kurta for Deepavali, and providing an array of warm colours for Chinese New Year, we provide clothing for all and this is definitely the case when it comes to festival celebrations in Malaysia."
Above all else, Yamada says the brand aims is to provide essentials that cater to local lifestyle needs, rather than trends.
"For our Malaysian customers who live in the tropics, they need clothes that can help them feel comfortable and protected from the heat, UV rays and humidity, and some of our material innovations deliver these functional values that make their lives better."
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