Uniqlo’s sister brand GU is cheap at twice the price.
And it’s stylish, too.
The incredibly affordable label, which opened its first permanent store outside of Asia at 578 Broadway in Soho last month, offers a tightly edited collection of hip hero pieces. Remarkably, everything is under $100, with most prices falling in the $30 to $50 range.
The two-floor flagship, website and app carry men’s and women’s fashion, shoes, bags and accessories. The edged-up assortment includes this season’s barrel-leg jeans and cargo miniskirts, among other must-haves.
The company calls its concept the MINI edit MAX, where it launches less than one-tenth the number of products of its competitors to keep prices rock-bottom, but at the same time maintains quality.
GU – which is derived from the Japanese word for freedom and pronounced letter-by-letter – unveiled a collab with Rokh, the emerging designer brand that’s a favorite of stylists and stars. The house was founded in 2016 by Korean-born, Texas-raised and Central Saint Martins-trained Rok Hwang. He worked at Céline under Phoebe Philo and also freelanced for Louis Vuitton and Chloé.
In 2018, the designer won a Special Prize, part of the prestigious LVMH Prize competition, for his adaptable tailoring. His experimental ‘fits have been worn by everyone from Sydney Sweeney and Bella Hadid to Kerry Washington, not to mention Blackpink’s Jisoo, Lisa, Rosé and Jennie Kim, who are friends of the house.
The collab features 16 layerable pieces, many of which are convertible.
“In three words, I would describe this collection as youthful, fun, and humorous,” said the designer in a prepared release. “I always consider the wearer when designing my pieces, and I believe this collection will appeal to anyone with a youthful spirit, regardless of age. It offers numerous styling possibilities and showcases the joy of dressing up, which is a core value for both Rokh and GU.”
One of the key designs is a two-piece coat that can be rocked three ways: as a long vest (without the top jacket), a cropped jacket (without the long vest) or a dapper full-length coat.
At $99.90, that’s a pretty sweet deal.
