Uniqlo Spec Project

Every couple of weeks, Taro’s Origami Studio is asked to look into something new and complex.  Sometimes these project turn into massive installations, but like every artistic endeavor, sometimes a client goes in a different direction.

This project with Uniqlo was unfortunately one of those times, but Senior Designer Frank Ling came up with such a fun concept that we wanted to show it to everyone even if it didn’t end up being built.

 1. Original Request

For the fall of 2025, Uniqlo, the Japanese casual wear and designer brand inquired about an origami installation.

The request was for a visual centerpiece that honors Uniqlo’s Japanese roots and creates a captivating, interactive moment for guests.

They wanted a design that created a striking, elevated installation to create a dimensional and immersive environment.  The design also needed to be customized to reflect their color palate, incorporate fall shapes, and be both a photogenic backdrop as well as a meaningful brand statement.

2. Our Past Work

To begin with the Taro’s Origami team, lead by Frank Ling, drew on their extensive knowledge of seasonal installation with another famous Japanese brand, Muji.  Each of the last 3 years they have created a winter wonderland for their flagship store in Bryant park NYC.  You can see each of them linked below.

3. Inspiration

From there Frank began looking into classis fall models and worked to design a unique maple leaf that would work well in the installation.  The model needed to be folded out of the recognizable Uniqlo red, double sided so that it could be seen from every angle, and also simple enough to mass produce.

4. Brand Integration

But as fun as a hanging wall of models can be, they can also feel a little generic.  Luckily though, Frank had a brilliant idea for tying in the logo and his new leaf model.  He got to work on creating their logo out of negative space and came up with this amazing display.  Even though it didn’t end up being approved by the client, the Taro’s Origami team is thrilled to share this level of work with the world.