Nine new UTs expressing a desire for peace to be sold worldwide on July 22
Global apparel retailer Uniqlo today announces the launch of nine new designs for PEACE FOR ALL, a charity T-shirt project from UT (Uniqlo T-shirt), which uses T-shirts as a blank canvas for everyone to express their individuality. The project, first launched on June 17 of this year to raise funds to support peace efforts by selling T-shirts with designs that convey a desire for peace, has received tremendous support from customers. The nine new UTs expand the range of color variations and will be available for purchase worldwide on Friday, July 22.
Uniqlo parent company Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. will donate all profits from sales, no less than 20% of the sales price of each T-shirt, to organizations that provide humanitarian aid to those affected by poverty, discrimination, violence, conflict, and natural disasters.
Details of the nine (9) T-shirts that will launch on July 22, including profiles of their creators.
Rei Inamoto
Creative Director / Named in Creativity Magazine’s Annual “Creativity 50” as well as one of “the Top 25 Most Creative People in Advertising” in Forbes Magazine. Founding Partner of I&CO, a Business Invention Firm in NY and Tokyo.
“Achieving PEACE FOR ALL may not be easy, but there is a simple place to start: There is no peace without love. Each dot in my design represents a nation on Planet Earth, with the hope that one day, we will think of ourselves as one humanity bound by love.“
Kosuke Kawamura
Collage Artist, Graphic Designer, Art Director / Born in 1979 in Hiroshima Prefecture. As a collage artist, he has collaborated with a variety of artists and held solo and group exhibitions throughout Japan and internationally. His varied work includes graphics for clothing brands, book covers, advertisement designs, and artistic direction for CD and DVD packaging.
“Collecting and melding disjointed individual pieces into one creates a large presence and power. I created this design thinking that if everyone could transmit even tiny pieces of positive energy in their way, then the world would move in a better direction.“
Shingo Kunieda
Professional wheelchair tennis player / The king and pioneer of wheelchair tennis. He has the record of being the first wheelchair tennis player to complete a Grand Slam. He has earned 4 gold medals at the Paralympics, 28 Grand Slam Singles titles, and 21 Doubles titles.
“Whenever I play wheelchair tennis in different places around the world, I am always struck by the power of sports that enables us to mutual respect and challenge other players and enjoy the vocal support from the crowd, unfettered by national borders. I hope as many people as possible get to experience the wonder of sharing emotions when watching or playing sports themselves. That desire inspired me to participate in this project.“
Adam Scott
Professional golfer / Adam Scott was born on July 16, 1980, in Adelaide, Australia. He is one of the world’s top golfers with the most consecutive starts as an active player. In April 2013, just after becoming a Global Brand Ambassador for UNIQLO, he became the first Australian to win a Masters championship. He established the Adam Scott Foundation in 2005, providing educational opportunities for children and young people.
“Along with peace and love, as a golfer, I hope for all things being “par.” Everything should be good, equal, and calm.“
Hana Tajima
Designer / UK-born fashion designer, Hana Tajima is changing the way women dress all over the world. Her contemporary, functional designs, which are both culturally sensitive and extremely versatile, continue garnering international attention.
“I wanted to create a design that would represent how we are all connected to the earth and each other. Our joy also contains the joy of others. When we bring peace to others, we can also bring peace to ourselves. And when we are all free to be joyful, the world is a more colorful, and more abundant place.“
Kei Nishikori
Professional tennis player / History maker and pride of his homeland. First Japanese player to make the finals at the US Open, enter the top 4 in world rankings, and win an Olympic medal in 96 years.
“What can I do? The first thing that springs to mind is to put my all into PLAYing tennis and enjoy it. I want to give hope to as many people as I can and encourage their dreams by determining to play my very best and always remembering to enjoy tennis. I hope that my tennis and everyone else’s PLAY will put a smile on more people’s faces.“
Ayumu Hirano
Professional Snowboarder, Skateboarder / Olympic snowboarding, and skateboarding star. At 15, he became the youngest Japanese medalist ever at the Winter Olympics. Gold medalist for snowboarding at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
“I’ve interacted with people from different countries through snowboarding and skateboarding since I was a child and I’ve learned a lot. It’s great that you can enjoy an exciting session with a single board, regardless of what country you are from. Times like that make me wish we could all live our daily lives without forgetting to respect each other.“
Gordon Reid
Professional wheelchair tennis player / Wheelchair tennis star. Made history for being part of the first pair to complete a Men’s doubles wheelchair tennis Grand Slam. 2-time Singles and 19-time Doubles Grand Slam Champion. Paralympic medals in gold, silver, and bronze.
“I’ve told myself to “never stop challenging” ever since I started playing wheelchair tennis. I would consider it an honor if my efforts and my passion helped to motivate others and inspired them to continue pushing themselves in the face of challenges in life. It is with this in mind that I have decided to participate in this project.“
Christophe Lemaire
Designer / Christophe Lemaire has been designing his namesake collection since 1991. He has also served as Artistic Director of Lacoste and Artistic Director of women’s ready-to-wear at Hermès. In 2015, he partnered with Uniqlo, resulting in the Uniqlo And Lemaire collaboration collections for Fall/Winter 2015 and Spring/Summer 2016. Christophe Lemaire was appointed Artistic Director of the Uniqlo Paris R&D Center in 2016, where he and his handpicked team of designers create the Uniqlo U collection.
“This design’s combination of the peace symbol of the dove with two hands expresses our desire to “care.” If we want peace for all, we must question our lifestyles and materialistic values. This means we need to relearn how to care for the planet. With time, we can protect biodiversity and create decent, sustainable living conditions. This change is possible. It is just a matter of goodwill.“
Donations raised through PEACE FOR ALL will be allocated to many organizations including the following:
• UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, leads international action to protect people forced to flee because of conflict and persecution. We deliver life-saving assistance like shelter, food, and water; help safeguard fundamental human rights; and develop solutions that ensure people have a safe place to call home where they can build a better future. www.unhcr.org
• Save the Children is an international NGO that works to make children’s rights to survival, development, protection, and participation a reality worldwide. It was established in the UK in 1919 and is currently at work in approximately 120 countries.
• Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion, and discrimination. And, it’s girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters, and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.
Uniqlo continues to actively seek out leaders in their fields who support PEACE FOR ALL and invite them to create charity T-shirts to be sold around the world. T-shirts are wonderful items that allow the wearer to express their thoughts and ideas and set themselves apart from others. Uniqlo will carry on pursuing measures for the project, aiming to make the world just a little bit better, and help ensure a peaceful future in which all people can live in safety.
The Uniqlo PEACE FOR ALL T-shirts will be available beginning July 22 at all Uniqlo stores and online at www.uniqlo.com/ph. Visit https://www.uniqlo.com/ph/en/contents/feature/peace-for-all/ to know more.
