You know, I spend a good portion of my money at Uniqlo; the chirpy ‘Welcome to Uniqlo’ is like music to my ears. The clean Japanese silhouettes with their wearable practicality are the many reasons my entire wardrobe is Uniqlo everything. Well, as if Uniqlo couldn’t do any better, they just outdid themselves with this Haruki Murakami x Uniqlo collection.
True, it’s a collaboration that no one asked for, but one we all need. For the uninitiated, Haruki Murakami has earned somewhat of a cult status as a novelist that has been grossly overlooked (yes, Nobel Prize, I’m looking at you). But I don’t just love him, I adore him. I mean, this is coming from someone who wrote her final year thesis on Murakami. ‘Love’ is clearly is an understatement. So, when two of my great loves decided to come together for this unprecedented partnership, you know I was all for it.
This collection is split into two broad themes; the first is on Murakami’s enviable aesthetic sensibilities and philosophical musings. Which, if you must know, is just about jazz, cats, and writing. Like this Murakami RADIO UT Graphic T-shirt (¥1,500 ~ S$18.56) with a statement at the back that underscores the most important things in life.
His second collection of six designs is based on his books—I know, be still my beating heart. There are designs from some of his most beloved books, such as the ever heart-breaking Sputnik Sweetheart. How can you not look interesting with a quote like “Understanding is but the sum of our misunderstanding”, written on the back?
Just like Murakami’s most straightforward novels, Norwegian Wood, keep things simple with this RADIO UT Graphic T-shirt Norwegian Wood (¥1,500 ~ S$18.56). Of course, there are other designs with his greatest hits, such as 1Q84, Pinball, 1973, Kafka on the Shore, and Dance Dance Dance.
That’s not all; there are also adorable Radio Pins Sheep Man (¥590 ~ S$7.30) and a Murakami Radio Sticker (¥390 ~ S$4.82), that is sure to be plastered all over my laptop. The collection is slated to drop somewhere in early March 2021, and you can check out the rest of the collection here. For now, I shall wait with bated breath as this Haruki Murakami x Uniqlo collection makes its way to our shores.
