Hana Tajima Is About So Much More Than Modest Fashion
The British-Japanese designer talks about the beauty of Upstate New York and the inclusive modesty that defines her latest collection for Uniqlo.
“I love the idea of these two different worlds coming together. I think there’s a lot of exciting things that can happen creatively when you’re working with a partner that’s really open to something new,” begins Hana Tajima. The British-Japanese designer is calling from her studio in Upstate New York, where she has just finished her latest collaboration with Uniqlo. She’s riffing on the two worlds, her own and Uniqlo’s, coming together, but her quote resonates more broadly. Raised in England, Tajima moved stateside several years ago to set herself up in a beautiful space in the heart of New York’s mountains and valleys. Memorably, her collaboration with the Japanese brand started three years ago, when she designed its first hijab, made of Uniqlo’s proprietary AIRism fabric, and has grown to include dresses, separates, and daywear. Now in its sixth season, Tajima’s collection for Uniqlo is not just about modesty for Muslim women—it’s about cute clothes for everyone.
“Different types of women use these kind of clothes for different things to feel certain ways about themselves, and I think that that’s really special. That’s something that we’ve been really actively trying to put out there, this idea that it’s an inclusive collection,” says the designer.
Living in New York, where she can be surrounded by wildflowers in her studio one day and in the bustle of the Garment District in Manhattan the next, has proven to be instrumental for her inspiration. “I think people here are really looking to find a collective identity, and that really spoke to me. We’re all these kind of different sorts of people, but we’re all together in the same place. It feels like there’s a misfit bunch of people that are trying to make something work,” she says. As for her collection’s vibrant colors and floral motifs, those combine the natural beauty of her native home and her adopted one. “I grew up in the middle of a national park in England, and I’ve always felt more connected to nature and the countryside. Being Upstate, it’s so nice to see the seasons change and really get an understanding of how colors work in the world.”
Her range will arrive in stores this week, allowing for women across the style spectrum to experiment with the elegant silhouettes Tajima draws from her own personal style. The look is intentionally loose and breezy, inspired by the sorts of things Tajima wears at home, where she feels comfortable to reveal more of her skin. Even with lots of options for modest dressers, like smart wide-leg jeans or a loose red maxi dress, the collection intentionally appeals to women outside of the modest dressing sphere—take a medium-wash denim jacket, exactly the crisp topper you’d reach for to take in spring’s first blooms.
Her ultimate goal with the collection was to create clothing that celebrates and embraces the bodies in it. Talking about her higher purpose in fashion, Tajima starts to wax poetic. “Imagine you’re on a road trip, for example, and you pull over and stop for a second. You get out and you’re somewhere that you’ve never been before, and then for a moment you meet yourself exactly as you are, and there’s a stillness and a sort of confidence that you embody. That’s what I want it to feel like when people wear the clothes,” she begins. “Through our devices, we’re always connected to this perpetual motion, and there are very few moments to stop and be still. One important aspect of this collection was really caring for our physical bodies with elastic waistband details, really nice breathable fabrics, and looser silhouettes.” This writer can report that not only is Tajima’s clothing about as comfortable as it gets, but it doesn’t skimp on style either.
Photo: Davey Adesida / Courtesy of Uniqlo1/8
Photo: Davey Adesida / Courtesy of Uniqlo2/8
