First, it was Target and now, Uniqlo brings the flowers and spots with their first collaboration with Finland’s iconic design house Marimekko.
The collaboration, which is live in stores and online today, is full of bright, slightly obnoxious (but in a good way) prints of flowers and dots, each with their own personality. What looks just like plain polka dots are called Polle, which are actually based on “an image of round hoof prints left by a plump small pony.” Or the black-white-red geometric Maija pattern, which is a tribute to the classic Marimekko Unikko flower print.
While the collection itself is all womenswear, it isn’t overly feminine. It’s quite the opposite actually with oversized, shapeless dresses and wide-leg pants mingling with baggy blouses and t-shirts. It’s an Alice in Wonderland effect, where you may feel like you need to drink a questionable liquid to keep up appearances.
Everything in the collection is under $40, with most ringing in at the $20ish mark, typical to Uniqlo’s offerings. The kitsch is turned up to eleven, with not a single plain, solid-colored piece in sight. Even the pants have patterns on their up-turned cuffs. The collection keeps the paired-down forms that Uniqlo is known for, but amps it up by splashing everything with a touch (okay, more than a touch) of Marimekko’s OTT ornamentation.