Controversial Japanese jacket looks too much like Mao's uniform
The garment is sold online, made by Japan-based Uniqlo, a leader in casual wear. Any resemblance is purely coincidental, the company said.
Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – A new jacket from Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo’s spring collection is raising eyebrows in social media for its design, which resembles the uniform worn by Chinese dictator Mao Zedong, or worse yet, the North Korean Kim Jong-il.
In an attempt to quell criticism, the company said in a statement that any similarity was purely coincidental, adding that the jacket was designed by Christope LeMare and that it offers “silhouettes full of relaxation”.
The garment is retailing for 6,990 yen (US) on Uniqlo Japan’s website, where it is being advertised as an ensemble with similarly simple, loose-fitting military style trousers.
Uniqlo is a well-known low-cost Japanese clothing chain with worldwide resales (in April 2019 it will open its first store in Milan, Italy).
For many fashion lovers it is the reference for quality casual style. Some customers are already rushing to buy it.
One buyer said in a post that anyone looking to follow in Kim’s sartorial footsteps to “purchase soon, before they sell out”. Another poster suggested “it really needs a cap with a red star to complete the ensemble”.
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