Kei Nishikori And His Brand Uniqlo

Written by: Karen Anderson on 22nd January 2011

Kei Nishikori And His Brand Uniqlo

Kei Nishikori (JPN)  |

The injured prone player, Kei Nishikori lost his match today against Fernando Verdasco but he is still a winner to me!  He is wearing a new brand of clothing to the world of tennis.  Uniqlo!
While Uniqlo is NOT new in the fashion world it is exciting to see it on the court!  Uniqlo has been in business since 1984 and is a huge Japanese retail success. They are owned by Fast Retailing and have become a world renowned brand- currently 777 stores throughout Japan, and more throughout China, Korea and Europe. Tadashi Yanai is the founder and is said to be the Japanese version of Warren Buffet.  He has created a global business that is rivaling the H&M’s, The Gap’s, and Zara’s of the world.  In 2003, he wrote a book titled, “One Win, Nine Losses”.  It tells of his firm belief that you can become successful by learning from your mistakes.  Sounds like he knows the patience and wisdom of mastering the game of tennis, too.
In the U.S., Uniqlo has a 37,000 foot retail store in the groovy Soho neighborhood of NYC (the only one in the U.S.).  It is full of terrific basics offered in as many as 80 colors stacked precisely to the ceiling alongside trend-setting styles for the urban geeks and sophisticates alike.
I am sure that Kei Nishikori is wearing the ever- comfortable “Heattech” product that Uniqlo has designed and sold heap loads of. It is the company’s biggest seller. Their Heattech innovation was developed by Toray Industries using milk proteins for softness and building in air pockets with star-shaped fabric strands to retain warmth. Having been hooked on Heattech for quite some time, I was recently in the NYC store and any style in this fabric is virtually sold out until the Fall 2011season.  It is a light weight textile perfect for any weather condition. The stores DO offer at least 20 vivid colors in most Heattech styles. Consequently great for the tennis court!  Also any product at Uniqlo is amazingly easy on the pocketbook.  The Heattech line is approximately $10.50 per piece in the stores. You can never walk in the store and come out with one item.  Yanai calls it “cheap yet chic” clothing.  It is designed for comfort and longevity.