NEAT KNITS: Don’t take your sweater for granted.
This felt like the underlying message relayed by Fast Retailing Co. Ltd. executives speaking before a crowded room of journalists gathered for a Uniqlo exhibit about knitwear in Paris. People squeezed into the entrance of the show, a wide room covered with dangling wheels of colored wool, the hues arranged like a giant, three-dimensional rainbow.
Held at the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris, the show runs from Wednesday through Saturday. It’s a sort of ephemeral pop-up experience from the Japanese label, which touts the exhibit as its first, as it joins the growing ranks of brands aiming to pull in new consumers by telling people how their stuff is made.
“The Art and Science of LifeWear” features a knitting machine in action, building a sweater dress before the public. It then takes visitors through a life of a sweater through photos, showing inspection stages and the factory hanger system, finishing with the final residue removal, done by hand. Another room is covered with rows of outfits, some outfitted with knit hats, scarves and gloves.
Closing the exhibit is a pop-up shop, complete with a cash register, featuring collaborations with Andrea Crews—airport themed, with sweaters stamped “Paris”
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