Global apparel retailer UNIQLO has announced the launch of a charity T-shirt collection featuring winning designs from the 2023 Youth with Refugees Art Contest co-organized with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
Items will be available at UNIQLO stores with the UTme! service in 12 markets around the world, including Japan, and the UTme! online store (Japan only), from Thursday, February 22.
The Youth with Refugees Art Contest was established by UNHCR in 2020, creating an opportunity for young people around the world (aged 30 and under) to exhibit their talent and creativity, and to express solidarity with refugees through their art. The contest promotes engagement in refugee issues and offers young refugee artists scope to express themselves and to maximize their potential. In 2023, UNHCR and UNIQLO co-organized the contest, engaging customers around the world to support refugees through the purchase of a special collection of T-shirts.
The theme of the 2023 Youth with Refugees Art Contest was “HOPE AWAY FROM HOME”, emphasizing recognition and inclusion for people who have fled their homes to find hope and rebuild their lives in places they have sought refuge. The artworks help refugees find acceptance and take the next steps, from meeting new friends and having a place to learn, to reuniting with family and finding work. More than 4,000 entries were received from all over the world, and UNIQLO made T-shirts from the five winning designs.
In addition to a direct donation of US$100,000 (approximately 14.7 million JPY) UNIQLO will make to UNHCR, it will also donate US$3 (approximately ¥441) to UNHCR for each purchase of a T-shirt from the collection. UNIQLO will also donate 5,000 T-shirts and 1,000 tote bags from the collection to UNHCR (equivalent to ¥11.94 million, based on the retail value of these items at UNIQLO in Japan. Tote bags are not sold at UNIQLO).1 UNHCR will also sell these items internally at the online UNHCR Visibility Shop2, with all proceeds used for UNHCR’s refugee support activities.
Submissions were accepted through the UNHCR website from June 15 to September 30, 2023, from young people aged 10 to 30. The contest was open to anyone in the world, with participation welcomed from refugees, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers, and stateless persons. The theme for the creations was “HOPE AWAY FROM HOME.” UNHCR and UNIQLO selected five winning entries based on the artwork’s creativity and message.
