Uniqlo has been in a committed relationship with Jonathan Anderson since 2017, the year they first rubbed shoulders. Fast forward to today, and this partnership has turned into an almost annual ritual, a reunion with a modest price tag. Between Anderson juggling Dior’s endless debuts and keeping JW Anderson relevant, one thing is clear. Uniqlo must be doing something very right, or very persistent. Possibly both.
This season, the Spring/Summer 2026 collection is given the very fitting name “Prep Meets Play,” which takes cues from British water sports and the kind of collegiate style that smells faintly of privilege. “This collection adds a new interpretation to traditional British prep style, expressing its character with a spring-summer lightness and vibrant colors.” All of this is a 31-piece lineup, because no collaboration is complete without branded socks and a backpack.
Nautical cues show up in henleys with rowing-club ancestry, shorts that can’t decide whether they’re for land or water, and quarter-zips straight out of a very specific ’90s sailing fantasy. Of course, there is a whole rainbow of Dry Cotton Polos to choose from, denim that swallows you whole, cropped boxy oxfords for anyone who enjoys a little structure, and parkas that love to shrug off water. Ready for the masses February 26.
It’s basically the perfect collection for anyone at an Ivy League who daydreams about commuting by sailboat instead of foot. Classic Uniqlo, teetering on the edge of boring, with just enough Anderson touches to make each piece sneak onto your wishlist, if you relate to the person daydreaming about grand entrances. And that’s coming from someone who has spent a lifetime successfully avoiding polo shirts, so take my opinion with a generous pinch of salt. All I know is that if I ever developed a soft spot for those little buttons, Anderson at $30 would have me genuinely intrigued. Considering how these collaborations keep rolling out under some of the biggest names in high fashion, it’s obvious that the Fast Retailing umbrella, parent to Uniqlo and GU, and now with Marni’s Francesco Risso recently taking the reins as creative director, knows exactly what it’s doing.
