Uniqlo, the Hiroshima born label, has just opened its first French store in Paris by the beginning of Oct 09. I couldn’t wait to see it by myself. I freed a few minutes to go by yesterday while in Paris for a single (marathon) visit day.

+J stands for the collaboration with Jil Sander, the German designer label known for its minimalism.

I like the way the female and males models look alike. Their hair, lips, straight nose, look, eyebrows, the way they hold their neck up.

The store is at the corner of rue des Mathurins & rue Scribe, a high end address at walking distance from l’Opera and prestigious stores of Boulevard des Capucines. Moreover, it’s conveniently placed just in front of one of the main doors of Galeries Lafayette.

The Japanese brand presents cosmopolitan and urban outfits at a competitive value for money. It achieves that by tightly controlling design, manufacture and distribution of its products. For example, it places cashmere orders at the end of the year low season, getting bigger discount. It makes you thinking of Zara? Correct. Uniqlo selling strategy, whose name comes from the words Unique Clothing, is largely inspired by the Spanish giant’s.

Yesterday afternoon at a time everyone should be at the office, Uniqlo store was as crowded as Galeries Lafayette Christmas Eve is. Unbelievable. The store is impressively big for a first French shot: 3 floors.

The deco is minimalist: bright white grounds and walls, electronic boards, clear stairs. The clothes are colorful. Pop yellow, red, green, blue clothes. It changes from our usual winter black/ grey/ brown even it has, obviously, classic black and grey coats.

The store is worth a look. But I don’t like the clothes. The wool of those coats were hideous. The price matches the quality. I prefer paying much and get better fabrics. Since I didn’t try anything,¬†I don’t know how it fits.

With its ads released in French Vogue for the store opening, Uniqlo targets the sky.

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Author: Gaelle