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Since 2006, Uniqlo’s sister fashion brand GU (pronounced as letters “g” and “u” and derived from the Japanese character for “freedom”) has been a shopping fixture in Japan thanks to its affordable range of on-trend styles and almost 450 stores. And while the label — part of Fast Retailing Group, which also owns Theory and Helmut Lang — previously had a stateside pop-up, today GU opened a flagship in New York and launched a US commerce site. This marks GU’s first permanent store outside of Asia and the first step in a global expansion that could make the brand as ubiquitous as its popular sister label.
According to GU CEO Osamu Yunoki, the brand took the insights gained from the US market following the 2022 New York pop-up to the product development team. The brand then spent two years adjusting its original sizing, changing silhouettes and fits, and making the styling and merchandising more gender-fluid, to align with the feedback. “Our [pop-up] products have been based on Japanese consumers. We changed our sizing and styling, and we opened a product development headquarters in New York,” Yunoki says of the preparation leading up to the brand’s American launch.
While Uniqlo has made a name for itself for its high-quality basics and designer collaborations — and most recently, headlines for the appointment of Chloé and Givenchy alum, Clare Waight Keller, as the brand’s creative director — GU caters to a younger, more budget-conscious consumer who’s looking to engage with current trends that still fit under the everyday style umbrella. The brand’s signature items range from a barrel-leg jean ($39.90) to a pleated skort ($29.90) and a puffy shoulder bag ($39.90) that could be a younger cousin to Uniqlo’s viral crossbody.
“Uniqlo and GU have the same concept and a different concept,” says Yunoki. “Both are trying to offer as good of a product as possible at an affordable price… [But] while Uniqlo offers high-quality, high-function basics, GU offers more trendy fashion.” But rather than put out the largest assortment of products, GU focuses on curating a limited selection of pieces that are meant to be mixed and matched and styled in a variety of ways. This is a concept that the brand refers to as “MINI edit MAX.”
“MINI edit MAX delivers maximum style and quality with minimum prices and curated collections. We intentionally narrow down the number of items,” Yunoki says. (In addition to offering a more digestible selection to the shopper, a limited lineup, according to Yunoku, also allows for a more effective supply chain model, which ensures a lower price point.)
This type of versatile selection is what according to Yunoki has made GU one of Japan’s most popular brands. “GU is very practical. People are really busy — they have no time to think about fashion all the time — and aren’t spending as much money as before on fashion,” he says.
In addition to the barrel-leg bottoms, which come in denim and pant versions, and cargo pants, which were a popular item during the pop-up’s run, the US selection includes on-trend pieces like pleated midi skirts, cropped blazers, and bubble-hem skirts. These are mixed in with more seasonless essentials like colorful cardigans, workwear-appropriate blouses, and transitional-weather trench coats — all, similar to Uniqlo, available in several different colors.
To mark the launch of the e-commerce site and store opening, GU also dropped its newest designer collaboration today, with the Japanese brand Undercover, with whom GU previously partnered on collections. Boasting 22 styles, the special-edition collection includes statement outerwear, track pants, and accessories that marked previous collaborations and features US exclusives like “Big Apple” graphic T-shirts and ripstop tote bags.
While GU will continue to innovate and create products with a global audience in mind, Yunoki points to the mission that inspired the brand name as the driving force of the launch 18 years later: “I would like to have US customers enjoy the freedom to find a new U [sic] through our fashion.”
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