Uniqlo announces special 'Kurta Collection' for India

This special collection will be available in India, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, as part of Uniqlo's 2019 Fall/Winter offering, said the company in a press release.

"We are excited to be launching the Kurta Collection along with the opening of the first Uniqlo store in India. The special collection is the result of our dedication to create high-quality daily wear that will meet the daily needs of our customers in India and other markets. LifeWear is the philosophy of what we do. And Uniqlo is committed to create perfect clothing that makes everyday life more comfortable, convenient, and with a practical sense of beauty," said Tomohiko Sei, CEO, Uniqlo India. "Kurta is one such silhouette which is much adorned and worn daily by women in India. We wanted to use our technology and innovation in fabrics with Rina's design sensibilities to create a high-quality and functional version of 'the Kurta'.

"The Kurta has been India's daily dress for years now. It is timeless, democratic and functional - aligning it perfectly with the Uniqlo LifeWear philosophy. Through this partnership we have pursued a contemporary version of the Kurta as an elegant essential for women of all backgrounds, regardless of age, culture or belief," said Singh.

The Uniqlo Kurta collection consists of four categories- tunics, dresses, pants and stoles. Inspired by the Indian spice route, the colour palette is an earthy combination of charcoal, indigo, mustard and red. Keeping the LifeWear concept as the base, the collection replaces customary details like the side slit for pockets and employed larger yokes without button necklines, to give the wearer added comfort and ease in movement. The newly engineered silhouettes are finished with contrast binding, running stitches along the seams as well as tucks and imaginative hem finishes.

The collection also features a distinctive print story of polkas juxtaposed with twill checks, developed indigenously by Rina through hand woven yarn dye and block printing. The designs use premium linen, 100 per cent cotton and a specially-created rayon fabric jointly developed by Uniqlo and Toray Industries to make daily care even easier. These fabrics create highly functional clothing across the entire lineup in the Kurta collection, ideally suited to the climatic conditions and the evolving lifestyles in India. These tunics and tops can be easily layered- worn over trousers or with jackets and can also be worn individually as dresses.

Uniqlo is launching in India this fall. Given the size and fast growth of the market, this strategic rollout will for the first time involve three separate stores in the Delhi area. The first of these will be in October at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, one of the most popular shopping districts of the Delhi metropolitan area. The second and third stores will be located at DLF Place Saket, a newly renovated shopping destination set to reopen in the fall, and DLF CyberHub, the heart of the millennial city of Gurugram.

A graduate from Wigan and Leigh College UK as a scholarship recipient, Rina Singh established 'Eka' in 2011. Eka creates garments that are versatile, fluid in shape, evolved in textiles and texture, and seen as essential to timeless wardrobes. The designer's label is made in India and draws from indigenous skills whereby natural materials are developed from India's regional craft belts. (PC)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India