uniqlo lands in kuala lumpur!

When I heard that my favourite Japanese brand would be setting up stores in KL, I greeted the news with mixed feelings. I didn't know whether to rejoice or be despaired.

The official launch of Uniqlo was on 4th Nov, and the fan in me actually applied for half day leave thinking I would be able to do a sneak preview of their offerings then dash back to work. But of course, there were matters to attend to and I had to let go of the opportunity to gloat about being the first few in line :D

So yesterday noon I made my way to Bukit Bintang, hoping the line would have lessened somewhat. There was a queue snaking from the inside of Fahrenheit 88 out to the open with barricades and guards, but still manageable.

Still, Uniqlo was everywhere, even on this bus just outside the store!

Even those who didn't know what Uniqlo was lined up thinking it must be something big. The kiasu-ism spirit was alive and well and people certainly didn't want to be left out, nevermind that they have never heard of this brand before.

Uniqlo's like comfort food. Here was a brand that prided in affordable quality, not only having stamped its success back home in Japan but also slowly making its way across the globe.

I'm a big fan of Uniqlo having owned all sorts of pieces from all seasons during my stay in Japan. One of my first clothings when I was a student in Niigata was from Uniqlo, and I have continued to buy Uniqlo even while in Tokyo as a working salaryman.

True to their catchphrase "Made for All", their pieces cater to all ages, all purpose and now, all people out of Japan. So to see what I thought was something unique (btw, Uniqlo = unique clothing) being "shared" with everyone made me quite sad because now everyone in KL would own a piece of Uniqlo, making it less unique!

Some people say I have less reason to visit Japan since Uniqlo is here, but I say it gives me more reason to get non-KL pieces so that mine is still special :D