UNIQLO has officially launched the new UNIQLO launches “Hope Away from Home” collection in Malaysia. The charity T-shirt collection featuring winning designs from the 2023 Youth with Refugees Art Contest, co-organised with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The new collection will begun to be available at UNIQLO stores with the UTme! service in 12 markets worldwide, including Malaysia, starting Sunday, 24 March 2024.
The new “Hope Away from Home” collection in Malaysia will be priced at RM79.90 for adults and RM59.90 for kids. It will be available in XS-XXL size, although XS and XXL sizes are for online store only.
The Youth with Refugees Art Contest, established by UNHCR in 2020, provides a platform for young people around the world (aged 10 – 30) to showcase their talent and creativity while expressing solidarity with refugees through art. In 2023, UNHCR and UNIQLO co-organised the contest, inviting customers globally to support refugees by purchasing a special collection of T-shirts.
The 2023 Youth with Refugees Art Contest centres around the theme “Hope Away from Home”, highlights recognition and inclusion for those who have fled their homes in search of hope and the opportunity to rebuild their lives in places of refuge. The artworks created for the contest, aimed to assist refugees in finding acceptance and taking the next steps in their journey, from meeting new friends and having a place to learn, to reuniting with family and finding work. With over 4,000 entries received from around the world, UNIQLO selected the five winning designs to be featured on T-Shirts.
In addition to a direct donation of US$100,000 (approximately MYR479,750) UNIQLO will contribute US$3 (approximately MYR14.40) to UNHCR for each T-Shirt purchased from the collection. Furthermore, UNIQLO will donate 5,000 T-shirts and 1,000 tote bags from the collection to UNHCR, equivalent to approximately MYR381,100), based on the retail value of these items at UNIQLO in Japan. UNHCR will internally sell these items through the online UNHCR Visibility Shop, with all proceeds supporting UNHCR’s refugee assistance activities.
About the 2023 Youth with Refugees Art Contest
The Youth with Refugees Art Contest centred around the theme “Hope Away from Home”, inviting young amateur and professional artists (aged 10 to 30) as well as young refugee artists, to creatively express their interpretation of hope.
Entries were accepted via UNHCR website from June 15 to September 30, 2023, from individuals aged 10 to 30. The contest was open to globally, welcoming participation from refugees, internally displaced individuals, asylum seekers, and stateless individuals. UNHCR and UNIQLO jointly selected five winning entries based on the artwork’s creativity and message.
“HOPE AWAY FROM HOME” Collection – Contest Winners
| Winner Comments | T-shirt |
| Asifiwe, 14 (Resettled to the U.S. from a refugee camp in Burundi) Friend Code “My drawing is a picture of my friend group from when I lived in Burundi. We all follow our friend code that says: ‘My friend squad comes first and nobody can break us apart.’ My friends are a source of strength and hope for me. We may be separate, but I am sure we’re together in heart and that our memories will continue to live on.” |  |
| Afya, 14 (Young woman passionate about art, living in the U.S.) A Little Love from Home “The heart-shaped paper airplane is from someone important. When someone receives it on the other side of the globe, they will be hopeful and optimistic as a result of getting a little love while being away from home.” |  |
| Virag, 28 (Submitted her design from Hungary after visiting a UNIQLO store in Tokyo) Wings of Hope “Having met many inspiring asylum-seekers and refugees, I know how important ‘hope away from home’ is to rebuild one’s life in a new environment. My drawing aims to express the act of chasing this hope, and the heart symbolizes that it is very much possible to follow your dreams, even if you are far away from home.” |  |
| Georgette, 14 (Fled from Democratic Republic of Congo, now lives in a refugee camp in Tanzania) One Moon “The sky and moon symbolize protection and unity. Despite our differences, we are all under the sky and share one moon, it doesn’t matter where you are, there is only one moon, and you are protected by the sky. I want to be a president because I believe I will have the power to make decisions that will not hurt people; power to end wars in the world.” |  |
| Mawardi, 20 (Fled to Somalia, hoping to become a doctor in her home country, Ethiopia) Birds from Home “I remember the beautiful birds in my home country in the beautiful green forest. My hope is to see these birds again in the future, whether in my home country or somewhere else.” |  |
| Overview of the HOPE AWAY FROM HOME Collection | ||
| Product | : | HOPE AWAY FROM HOME |
| Launch | : | March 24, 2024 |
| Price | : | Adult – RM79.90 Kids – RM59.90 |
| Sizes | : | XS-XXL (XS and XXL sizes online store only) |
| Availability | : | UNIQLO stores with the UTme! service in 12 markets around the world, including Japan. In Malaysia, it is available at UNIQLO stores located at Damansara Avenue, Fahrenheit88, The Exchange TRX, Sunway Pyramid, and Queensbay Mall Penang. |