Fashion

Uniqlo's latest upcycling venture has us reworking old favourites into new treasures

By Josefin Forsberg

Photo: Julia Sixtensson

Uniqlo's beloved repair and remake service is finally unveiled with the brand's Stockholm flagship store – this is everything you need to know

For more than two decades, Uniqlo has helped shoppers adapt trousers to fit with its nifty alteration service. But since 2023, the brand has taken this venture one step further with the launch of Re.Uniqlo Studio: a dedicated in-store space helping customers repair and remake their clothing, in turn keeping the brand’s items in circulation for longer.

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“We are proud to launch Re.Uniqlo Studio in Stockholm,” says Nikolina Johnston, COO of Uniqlo Scandinavia, revealing the new space to a small pool of guests ahead of the opening. “We have seen an increased interest in repairing and mending clothes based on customer feedback. With Re.Uniqlo Studio and our trained staff, we can now educate a wider audience while making several sewing techniques more accessible to our customers.”

Photo: Courtesy of Uniqlo

Located on the first floor of the brand’s Stockholm flagship, the airy, inviting space welcomes customers during regular opening hours to repair or alter their Uniqlo pieces. No garment is too difficult to mend, according to Uniqlo, with everything from T-shirts to down jackets possible to mend as part of the service that starts at just 29 SEK.

Another aspect of the newly opened space is the possibility to remake pieces that customers have fallen out of love with. “We want to solve the fact that people grow tired of their clothing,” says Johnston. “With creative elements such as the Japanese mending technique, Sashiko stitching, unique embroideries and much more, customers can now update their existing Uniqlo favourites and extend their life span.” All to make sure items stay in circulation longer.

Photo: Julia Sixtensson

Photo: Courtesy of Uniqlo

Photo: Julia Sixtensson

In addition to customers altering their existing items, Uniqlo offers a unique line of upcycled pieces in collaboration with Studio Masachuka – a Japanese clothing manufacturer based in London and Ghent. A long-time collaborator, Studio Masachuka gives new life to Uniqlo’s faulty items through advanced repair and remake services based on the traditional Japanese sewing technique Sashiko.

And if a piece is no longer wanted or beyond saving? Recycle bins remain in the store to collect no longer-worn items, which are then donated to local in-need communities. In Sweden, Uniqlo donates its collected items to the non-profit organization Fryshuset, which has been a long-term partner of the brand since the flagship store opened in 2018.