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Just as Cate Blanchett can play seemingly infinite roles—Manifesto’s 13 characters was a feat beyond compare—she can also assume a spectrum of fashion personas. From statuesque in Giorgio Armani (they shared great mutual admiration) to elegantly avant-garde in Louis Vuitton, she is a fashion and beauty ambassador par excellence. And let’s not forget that as the global goodwill ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, along with holding other conservancy and arts patron positions, she translates her star power into action and support for several worthy causes.
As of last month, she is stepping into yet another role as a global brand ambassador for Uniqlo—and it’s one that suits her well. For one thing, she will be representing the brand’s LifeWear philosophy, which extends beyond clothing to the greater humanitarian initiatives that Uniqlo takes on. It’s also an opportunity to reunite with Clare Waight Keller, who has been designing the Uniqlo: C collection for five seasons following her time at Givenchy, where the two met. Blanchett is sure to look just as sharp in the clothes—see her crisp blue striped shirt with an asymmetric high collar and utility pockets in the announcement photo—as she is daring in the Glenn Martens Maison Margiela gown comprised of torn still life prints that she wore at the Venice Film Festival. Ahead of tonight’s official kickoff in New York, Blanchett and Waight Keller joined up on a call to speak with refreshing sincerity about resuming their collaborations, shopping trips to the Uniqlo stores, and the importance of re-wearing red carpet looks.
Cate, you appeared at the Venice Film Festival for Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother, which received the Golden Lion for Best Picture.
CB: Jim is such a gent and such a kind, warm soul, and it’s just glorious for him. It’s a beautiful, gentle, deeply unpretentious feeling film.
And having done Coffee and Cigarettes with him all those years ago, your relationship stretches far back.
CB: Yeah, I often think about those deep time relationships or relationships where you get to work with the same people as coming out of theater, and it’s often rare that you get to do it with film, particularly when you’re pulled in so different directions. I missed the opportunity to work with him a second time, not long after Coffee and Cigarettes, just because of family and children and geography. And so it was really great to reunite after all that time.
So that brings us to your relationship, Cate and Clare, as it seems you knew each other before.
CB: I’ve been fashion-stalking Clare for a long time. I can’t actually remember, did we meet when you were at Givenchy?
CWK: I think it was Givenchy, so it would be like 2017. You wore one of my first couture pieces from the very first show.
CB: And I’ve worn those ones again. They’re such classics. Speaking of Mr. Armani [the Italian designer died several days before this interview took place], it’s your own sense of tailoring and your extraordinary sense of color. And I think we have a shared love of knitwear, which is also coming to bear in what you’re doing at Uniqlo. It’s great. We hadn’t seen each other for quite some time. And I had connected with Koji-san [Koji Yanai, Senior Executive Officer of Fast Retailing] through his work at UNHCR and was visiting him and meeting his father; I happened to be in the Uniqlo offices in Tokyo. I knew that you had done a collection there. And Koji, in his mischievous way, said, “Oh, guess who’s here?” And then he opened the door, and you walked out, and I think I dropped my coffee and screamed.
CWK: It was one of those funny moments. I couldn’t believe it either. It was serendipitous timing… I think Koji knew that we knew each other, obviously, but then there was the kind of joy of the surprise as well. We did a little walk around the offices in Tokyo, and I showed Cate what I was working on, and it went from there, really.
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Cate, Uniqlo is often speaking of simplicity, quality, longevity. What is it about the LifeWear approach, this philosophy, that felt aligned with where you are with your life?
CB: Clare is really bringing this to a pinnacle, but given that Uniqlo has these classics that sort of flow with the daily movements, the utilitarian movements of people’s life, and living and breathing with them—I connect with the functionality of that. And this doesn’t need to eschew beauty and grace. But also, I think it’s the social mission of Uniqlo. I find that, as a brand, and this was from a distance, I was sensing its responsiveness and its really strong relationship with its customers. And that resonated with me. Sometimes this can either feel slightly slapped on or a little bit cynical, but I find the quality of listening and the engagement, and also the innovation of the fabrics and technology, is really interesting. And knowing how curious and precise and immersive Clare is as a designer, I really leaned into that.
Cate, what had been your previous experience with Uniqlo?
CB: I get a bit overwhelmed by large stores, but I’d do my yearly nip in-and-out because my boys shop there to get the staples—things like the underwear and the socks. And then leaning into those things in terms of how one builds a wardrobe, which I think you can do in a place like Uniqlo.
Are you recognized in the stores, or can you shop incognito?
CB: I think people don’t expect you to be in there. But I think I was first looking at it from a purely utilitarian point of view through my sons. And I then I started seeing these pleats in the skirts. That’s when I started to sit up and look and acknowledge Uniqlo from a more fashion perspective, if you know what I mean.
Clare, this must be your influence.
CWK: Like Cate said, there are some signatures now that I think are becoming sort of obvious, particularly to the collection that I work on, Uniqlo: C, that have my own DNA and expression of design. But also working on the main line now, I’m starting to filter in a little bit more of the fashion forward pieces, still within that essence of simplicity that Uniqlo really genuinely believes in. And I think that’s coming from their fundamental Japanese philosophy that everything should have a purpose. So nothing is superfluous, not for decorative reasons, not just there because it looks fun or interesting. It’s there because it truly has a reason to be, and it’s going to help the person. If we are adding little draw cords to the bottom of the pants or at the waist, [it’s to] adjust and feel that much more comfortable or more practical.
Fashion can be both democratic and deeply personal. What does it mean for you, Cate, to represent a brand that is about everyday essentials, about things that just become part of your wardrobe rotation that aren’t necessarily the red carpet glamour?
CB: I think whether you are walking down the street or you are on a red carpet, you don’t want the clothes to wear you. You have to wear them. And I don’t think I’m unique. I’m a bowerbird building a wardrobe over time. But I think that the fundamental principle for me has always been, “Do I need this? Do I love this? Will I wear it more than once? And is this going to stand the test of time?” I live in the country, so oftentimes I will literally get up, feed the chickens, take the kids to school, jump in the cold water, put the same outfit on, and have to get on the train, and then go to a business meeting, and then that will have to go on into the evening. So I sort of think, “How can I wear something that is going to get me through all of those random, seemingly disparate events in my day?” There’s a practicality to my dressing and a layering in my dressing. I mean, I grew up in Melbourne where the classic thing is you get seven seasons in one day. So I’ll go out dressed for all eventualities. It helps, I think, to have a wardrobe that is built up over time, but also a wardrobe that you can layer into. So it will involve sort of a wash-and-wear aesthetic, but one that doesn’t eschew the kind of things that are well-made and well-tailored.
What does your role at Uniqlo entail?
CB: Well, I met Koji-san at the Global Refugee Forum, and we’re both very engaged in the work of UNHCR, and Uniqlo has a very strong and embedded sense of giving back, and I’ve been long aware of their Peace for All initiative, which I applaud. So I think there’s a shared sort of philosophy from that perspective. Like any relationship, whether it be my relationship with Mr. Armani or my relationship with Nicolas [Ghesquière] at Balenciaga and then Louis Vuitton, and Clare as well—through her work at Pringle and Givenchy—these things evolve over time. I think I’m sort of very engaged in the broader conversation as well as the specific. But I think it’s going to unfold, really. That’s what I mean about Uniqlo being a great business and they’re really engaged. Koji is always alive to a great idea. And at the time I met him, Perfect Days [the 2023 film by Wim Wenders, that Koji Yanai produced] had just come out, so we’ve obviously got a shared love of film. And he’s involved in the Displacement Film Fund, which we’ve set up to support displaced filmmakers. So there’s a lot of intersection of interest.
Clare, does this mean that will there be pieces that are created for Cate exclusively?
CB: That sounds good!
CWK: Well, part of the initial conversation was the fact that Uniqlo has this sort of universal approach to things in terms of being so democratic. And I love the idea that whether you are someone like me who’s a designer, or someone like Cate, who’s an incredible Oscar-winning actress, that we all can interpret Uniqlo many different ways from across the collection. It’s about a universal wardrobe. And I think the holistic approach is going to be really interesting to explore. So although Cate’s initial press photo was from the Uniqlo: C collection, I see we are going to be working across many different areas, and you’ll see as it unfolds later in the year how that comes out.
Cate, one of the things that people really admire about your approach to red carpet is that you’ll often re-wear pieces. There’s this feeling of going into your closet and when you like a piece, you’ll wear it again.
CB: Definitely. I think particularly when you know the hours and the level of care and artistry that has gone in to create those garments, it’s a crime not to wear them again. But it’s not just what you’re wearing, it’s how you wear it. And so I think there are so many silhouettes that Clare is creating at Uniqlo that look entirely different on people depending on what they wear it with and how they wear it. I think you’ve got to then think, how does this fit my frame? How does it fit my mood, my disposition? You want your clothes to release you into the day, not dominate your every thought and movement.
Cate, do you have a favorite piece in your wardrobe that has truly stood the test of time?
CB: We were talking about Mr. Armani earlier. With my very first paycheck I bought an Armani suit. I still have that checked wool suit and I wear it all the time. My mother didn’t have a lot of disposable income, so she was very cautious about what she purchased. And she always said, “If you keep it long enough it will come back.” And it’s really interesting, my children, a few years ago, they said to me, “Oh my God, have you heard of Nick Cave?” [Laughing] And I went, “Yes!” My youngest had just discovered his music. And you think with really great musicians, really great designers, their work gets rediscovered generation after generation. The biggest compliment is when your children steal from your wardrobe. This is not to your question, but I do love the fact that across generations in my family, we all shop at Uniqlo. And I can move seamlessly—something that I shared with Mr. Armani deeply—with the supposed male silhouettes and female silhouettes. So I can happily move between the supposed male collection and female collection at Uniqlo, particularly under Clare’s guidance.
Clare, When people see Cate embodying Uniqlo LifeWear and your involvement in that, what do you hope they take away from the collaboration?
CWK: I think it is twofold. One is that great design is for all. And the fact that Cate and I have worked together before in a luxury setting and now, we’re working together in this more democratic setting—it shows that you can work at every level and still bring something powerful and beautiful to the market for everyone to be a part of. And secondly, that creativity is a very strong bond. And I think my feeling with Cate and I is that we have come together on so many different levels over the years. And just because I’m in a different setting now, it is going to bring a different impact. But still with that incredible strength and power that we can bring to represent women in design and women in theater and acting—just bringing together the idea that we can be a powerful force and message in the world to a broader audience.
Cate, do you see yourself wearing the Maison Margiela dress from the Venice Film Festival again?
CB: I hope so! I was glad I could take the corset off though.
This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.