Uniqlo debut Daniel Arsham x Pokemon Collection

UNIQLO, the Japanese global apparel retailer, recently announced that it launched the Daniel Arsham x Pokémon UT Collection. UTs (UNIQLO’s T-shirts) offer an array of authentic pop culture and art graphics from around the world that allow the wearer to express their individuality. Launching as part of the art collaboration project between Pokémon and Daniel Arsham, UT designs will feature Arsham’s drawings of quintessential Pokémon and its sculpture. The artist’s take on Pokémon presents a unique interpretation of the beloved Japanese game franchise. 

Commenting on this collaboration collection, Arsham said, “With many of my projects, I try to make work that’s not just for art people and I think UNIQLO has a similar egalitarian culture. The reason I feature iconic characters in my work is that they are very recognizable, and, on the surface, they make it easy to enter my work. Pokémon has been a monumental presence ever since I was a child and I’m excited about the opportunity to present my work to a much wider audience.”

Since his partnership with Kim Jones at Dior, Arsham has become a spectacularly popular presence in art, fashion, street culture, and other areas. He employs a creative concept that he terms “Fictional Archeology” to imagine how familiar objects will look 1,000 years from today. For the art project with Pokémon, Arsham will present a sculptural collection titled “Relics of Kanto Through Time”, imagining Pokémon unearthed a thousand years into the future. This unique interpretation is reflected in the UT Collection as well.

The collection offers seven design variations for men, women, and kids. The monotone graphics feature crystallized sketches of such emblematic Pokémon as Pikachu, Mewtwo, and Jigglypuff. The delicate lines of Arsham’s sketches are well translated on to the t-shirts as ‘wearable art’. The collaboration collection stemmed from his desire to share favorite examples of his work with as many people as possible.