Uniqlo collaborates with Mame Kurogouchi for the fourth time for its Fall/Winter 2022 Collection. Learn how the designer utilized HEATTECH technology to create intimate pieces suited for everyday.

The new Uniqlo and Mame Kurogouchi collection blurs the lines between innerwear and clothing to offer women comfortable stylish pieces like yarn bustiers,&nbsp; body shaper shorts, turtleneck shirts, and flare slit leggings. Its new HEATTECH wool blend material, developed from yarn, provides a warm feel suitable for layering.&nbsp;L'Officiel Philippines talks to designer Maiko Kurogouchi about her latest collaboration with Uniqlo and how comfort, color, and curves take center stage in her designs.&nbsp;

Let&rsquo;s talk about the collaboration with Uniqlo. How did it come about? What was the inspiration behind it?
I view innerwear as beautiful, romantic garments that also require comfort, and I&rsquo;ve long admired the soft comfort of UNIQLO innerwear. In addition to the wonderful functionality, I imagined a line of undergarments that could make women&rsquo;s bodies look and feel beautiful. If women felt confident looking in the mirror each morning, I felt it could add joy to their everyday lives. In creating the very first collaboration collection, I began with the functional elements I seek out when choosing undergarments, and added design details such as a color palette inspired by women&rsquo;s natural skin tones, and cuts to frame the beautiful curves of the body. By blending design with UNIQLO&rsquo;s world-leading technology, my hope was to create a collection that allows women to transition easily and seamlessly from innerwear to clothing.&nbsp;&nbsp;And this continues to be the basic concept up 'til this fourth collection.
What are your favorite pieces in the collection?&nbsp;
The bustier! I have always wanted a bustier-type belly warmer that I could wear in layers, as the cold is a great enemy for many women, myself included. I am happy to have created something so wonderful. Even in a tropical country like the Philippines, I think the rooms are air-conditioned, so I hope you will enjoy coordinating +1 (plus one) items with your usual items by layering them over a T-shirt, for example.
The new wool blend Heatteach material sounds exciting. What design elements were important to you in terms of designing for the cold weather?
In conversations with UNIQLO's development team, we decided that we wanted HEATTECH to be designed not only as innerwear, but also to be wearable as a single piece, and the wool blend and silk blend were born. For the wool blend, we spent a lot of time developing a material that would not tingle while retaining the warmth of wool, and we also paid close attention to the cutting of the hems and cuffs. For the silk blend, we aimed for a smooth feel on the skin. The silk blend has a shiny feel but is tailored with casual ribbing and a curved hem to make it look less like underwear. Both wool blend and silk blend materials were newly developed from the thread for this season.
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Photo courtesy of Uniqlo

Photo courtesty of Uniqlo

Innerwear is also featured in this collaboration, what do your innerwear designs say about the type of woman you are designing for?
My wish in designing clothes is to give women an extra bit of confidence, to help them stand tall and proud as they go about their days. This collection is centered around the most intimate items in a woman&rsquo;s closet, and I thought about which elements would best bring out a woman&rsquo;s inner confidence and beauty. I wanted to create garments that would help each individual woman feel beautiful, without worrying about anyone else&rsquo;s standards. I pictured that special moment each morning when a woman adorns a piece from the collection and revels in the joy it brings.
Let's talk about the color palette of this collection. What role did these colors play in terms of your design?
As in previous collections, we paid particular attention to colorings that bring out the beauty of skin in a wide range of women. For this season mainly, we selected terra cotta brown and khaki reminiscent of earth or mountains, which was also a theme for the Mame Kurogouchi collection. This is a color palette that blends with any style. I also think the ice grey mesh material used for slips and body shaper items is a pretty color.
Lastly, what is style and comfort for you?
When I design clothes, I&rsquo;m always hoping for women around the world to enjoy freedom in their daily lives. If this collection helps to create a sense of liberation &ndash; freeing women to live their lives comfortably and actively, I would be delighted. From the design sketch stages, I imagined comfortable garments that would inspire women to move. Big changes don&rsquo;t happen in a day. The accumulation of small changes eventually leads to a significant shift. Knowing a garment is not only comfortable but looks beautiful and enhances your body&rsquo;s curves, adds a little ease to the day. The comfort and beauty of all women are central to this collection, and if I can help bring a little joy to their every day, I can ask for nothing more.

Uniqlo x Mame Kurogouchi: A Masterclass on Comfort, Colors, and Curves

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