KAWS (Brian Donnelly) has been named Uniqlo's first-ever artist-in-residence, tasked with expanding the brand's "Art for All" philosophy. He will curate art events across Uniqlo stores worldwide and collaborate with the company's museum partners, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate Modern, the Louvre, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. His first collection with Uniqlo is scheduled for Fall/Winter 2025.
This appointment signals a deepening of the commercial art-fashion partnership, which began in 2016, and highlights the growing trend of artists taking on corporate residencies. It also underscores how major museums are increasingly engaging with retail collaborations to broaden public access to art, while KAWS continues to blur the lines between fine art, street culture, and mass-market merchandise.