One of the best parts about my lengthy and inconclusive college follies was my introduction to, and subsequent obsession with, art history. I was lucky that I chose an art degree because it demanded three consecutive quarters of in-depth, full-bodied (literally) immersion into the world of art, and artists. While I got to study the masters of the Renaissance, and was forced to try to understand Dadaism, I never got to take the Asian art history course, which meant I had to introduce myself to it, independently. Due to Asia’s several millennia of civilization, there was (and is) more art than I could possibly ingest in my lifetime. So I started where many people start when it comes to Asian art: that big, beautiful, iconic wave.
I know you’ve seen it before, but did you ever look into it’s origin? The artist’s name is Katsushika Hokusai, known more commonly as Hokusai, and he is one of the greatest and most famous Japanese artists… ever. This famous piece, The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, was first created around 1830 and is actually a wood block print. It belongs to a series called 36 Views of Mount Fuji, which inspired the Uniqlo collection I promise I will start talking about soon.
Wood block printing is kind of like old-school screen printing, where a new block is carved for every color in the image. To make that wave up there, you need around seven different wood blocks, three of which are used for different shades of blue – a hallmark of the series. Some wood block prints require as many as 16 blocks with 14 colors, and boards can be made out of incredibly luxurious materials like 100 year old Mountain Cherry which makes them even more valuable.
via Ukiyo-E HeroesAnyway, this isn’t an art history blog, so let’s get to the style & potatoes of the matter: Uniqlo, the quintessential Japanese clothing brand, has partnered with the keepers of Hokusai wood blocks, Unsodo, to create a line of affordable t-shirts and sweatshirts inspired by the 36 Views of Mount Fuji series called Hokusai Blue. Best of all, each t-shirt is less than $15, and the sweatshirts are just under $30.
There debut of this collaboration collection was back in March 2018, and features some of Hokusai’s other works. The recent release (just three days old) is equally enchanting and beautiful.
Top: Grey Sweatshirt with House and Mt. Fuji, $29.90
Botton: White Sweatshirt with Great Wave, $29.90
True to Uniqlo fashion, each tee or sweatshirt is has just the right amount of imagery on it to keep it from looking too much like an advertisement or tourist souvenir.
Personally, I like the designs in the men’s section the most. They feature the strong but delicate images from of my favorite Hokusai pieces. The men’s line includes several renditions of The Great Wave and multiple depictions of Mt. Fuji. Mountains, warriors, everyday people, and water are all highlighted in the men’s line, and the beautiful shades of blue that were promised in the collection’s description and Hokusai’s series are represented in their full spectrum.
Gradient Graphic Tee with River Boats, $14.90
Top: Graphic Tee with Mt. Fuji & Splatters, $14.90 | Blue Graphic Tee with Outlines, $14.90
Bottom: White Tee with Grappling Warrior, $14.90 | Graphic Tee with Wheel, $14.90
The women’s line is nice, too, but has way more strictly feminine subject matter like… flowers. Exclusively flowers. Well, okay, there’s a tee with The Great Wave on it and a tee with the great wave on the pocket, but the rest of the t-shirts (no sweatshirts for us gals) is floral.
Gradient Pink Tee with Cherry Blossoms, $14.90
Top: Blue Gradient Tee with Flowers, $14.90 | Graphic Tee with Cherry Trees, $14.90
Bottom: Graphic Tee with Floral Pocket, $14.90 | Blue Graphic Tee with Great Wave, $14.90
And it’s beautiful. Don’t get me wrong, Hokusai’s flower prints were absolutely exquisite, but the use of the prints in the women’s line seems lazy when compared to the thoughtfulness given to the incorporation of print designs in the men’s line.
There are also less than half the number of available products for women which leads me to believe that Uniqlo’s customers are mostly dudes… Or that the people who shop there are buying men’s clothing regardless of their gender. Or, if customers are buying mostly men’s clothing from Uniqlo, maybe it’s because the guys’ clothes have better designs…? (Catch-22?)
But the collection is undeniably beautiful, and if you’re not attached to the more apparently-masculine side of Hokusai, you will revel in the $15-ness of the women’s graphic tees. Since this collection was just released, and Uniqlo is an internationally beloved brand, the stock is flying off the shelves. In this situation, if you love something, don’t let it go!