Uniqlo Belgium is to open its first store – in Antwerp, on October 2.
The opening will mark a further expansion of Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing’s European footprint as it tries to achieve its goal of becoming the world’s largest apparel retailer by 2020.
The new Antwerp store will have a total sales floor area of about 1320 sqm over two levels and a mezzanine floor. It will be a “large-scale Uniqlo store” featuring men’s, women’s, and kids’ clothing. In addition to the 2015 Fall/Winter collection, customers will also find the collaboration line created jointly with apparel brand Lemaire, led by Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran.
“Our first store in Antwerp, an important and influential fashion city, marks our arrival in the Benelux region,” said Takao Kuwahara, Fast Retailing Group senior VP and Uniqlo Europe COO. “Uniqlo has so far built a presence in London, Paris, Moscow and Berlin, and I am pleased that the time has come for us to expand on our success in Europe by opening a first store in Belgium. We are very excited to introduce our brand and our products to customers across Benelux.”
Uniqlo, (an abbreviation for ‘Unique Clothing Warehouse’) was established in Japan in 1984 and now boasts more than 1600 stores across 16 countries. Belgium will be its 17th. In Europe, the company operates 26 stores in four countries, having launched in the UK in 2001, France in 2007, Russia in 2010, and Germany in 2014.
To coincide with the store’s debut, Uniqlo has developed a marketing campaign centred around ‘Six Faces of Antwerp’.
The six are Bent Van Looy, Helena Eeckeleers, (pictured above), Felix Denayer, Joke De Coninck, Mark Colle, and Francine Martens.
Spanning across different parts of society, including musicians, sportsmen, craftspersons, models and entrepreneurs, each person in the campaign has a special connection and relevance to the scenery of Antwerp. They will showcase how Uniqlo’s LifeWear products fits seamlessly into the daily lives of every person, regardless of age, personal background or style.
Bent Van Looy is a singer, musician, artist, style icon, and TV personality. As the frontman of Das Pop and the drummer of Soulwax, he travels regularly around the world. In 2013, he released ‘Round the Bend’, his first solo album. He is currently based in Paris but returns regularly to Antwerp, where he grew up and still has a strong connection with.
Helena Eeckeleers combines her marketing studies at the Karel de Grote-Hogeschool with a modeling career. She is passionate about fashion and loves to spend time in the south of Antwerp.
Felix Denayer is a professional field hockey player who won the ‘Golden Stick’ for Best Belgian Hockey player twice.
Joke De Coninck is a barista who spends most of her time working in Caffenation, a renowned coffee bar in Antwerp.
Mark Colle is one of the most sought-after florists in the world and the number one choice for haute couture houses.
Francine Martens worked for 50 years at bakery Goossens, the smallest but most authentic bakery in the center of Antwerp where people queue all day long. Francine retired a few years ago, but is still very much linked to the bakery.
