UNIQLO'S KAWS UNIVERSE ADDS EARTH, MOON AND SUN
KAWS Universe is a Uniqlo UT collection introducing three new KAWS characters named Earth, Moon and Sun, plus the first plush charms in the partnership. It released September 14, 2026 in the US and Singapore and September 17 in the UK, under KAWS's September 2025 role as Uniqlo's first Artist in Residence.
Key Points
- Earth, Moon and Sun are new KAWS characters made for Uniqlo.
- The line adds the first plush charms in the KAWS and Uniqlo partnership.
- The US drop was September 14, 2026 and the UK drop September 17, with prices set by market.
UNIQLO'S KAWS UNIVERSE ADDS EARTH, MOON AND SUN
KAWS Universe is a Uniqlo UT collection built around three new KAWS characters named Earth, Moon and Sun, who stand beside his Companion on adult and kids tees and sweatshirts and, for the first time in the partnership, on plush charms. It went on sale September 14, 2026 in markets including the US and Singapore, and September 17 in the UK, according to Uniqlo's regional pages.
Earth, Moon and Sun Join the Companion
The three characters were drawn for Uniqlo, and the line runs under a message Hypebeast reports as "We are better together." The XX motif that marks KAWS work shows up through detailing and embroidery rather than a bold front print. The plush charms are what changes the partnership. Earlier KAWS lines covered tees, sweatshirts, jackets and socks, but no plush charms. Earth, Moon and Sun arrive with no comic, short film or backstory, which fits an artist whose Companion biography shows a Disney animator learning to strip a character down until it fits any surface.
The Price Depends on Which Store You Open
Prices change by market, so there is no single number. In the US, retail coverage lists adult tees at $29.90, sweatshirts at $49.90 and the charms at $19.90. In Singapore, Alvinology reports adult tees at S$19.90, sweatshirts at S$39.90, kids tees at S$14.90 and charms at S$14.90. Purchase limits differ as well: Uniqlo's UK page caps orders at two per colour, while its Canadian page allows one of each design. Release time also differs, with the UK drop opening at 7am local on September 17, three days after the US and Singapore.
Uniqlo Gave KAWS a Title in September 2025
Fast Retailing named KAWS its first Artist in Residence in September 2025, a role announced to outlast a single seasonal capsule. John C Jay, president of global creative at Fast Retailing, said in the announcement: "As our artist in residence, KAWS will help Uniqlo to expand the global appreciation and participation of art and creativity for all." Press coverage describes the job as museum and store art events, a hand in choosing new creative partners, a seat in the UT Grand Prix competitions and input on future LifeWear products. Fast Retailing has not published a contract length or fee.
Ten Years of Crowds Behind the Collection
KAWS and Uniqlo began working together in 2016, and the partnership has since added Peanuts and Sesame Street crossovers. An earlier chapter, KAWS + Warhol, landed in August 2024, tied to the exhibition that opened May 18, 2024 at The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh and made the Warhol Store the first physical Pittsburgh location to sell Uniqlo products. The 2019 KAWS release is the reason Uniqlo now plans for crowds: in June 2019, shoppers at Chinese stores pushed past security and emptied shelves in as little as ten minutes in some shops, and in Canada hundreds camped out for hours. The simultaneous online and in store opening used for Universe is a response to that history.
Where a Thirty Dollar Tee Sits in the KAWS Market
The tee and the canvas are one business run at two ends. KAWS sells vinyl Companion figures through kawsone.com, as in the Fellows figure shown at Space K Seoul, puts his XX on Yankees jerseys priced at $650, and shows paintings such as Constant Pressure in Seoul. His Seoul museum survey, Friends and Neighbors, opened July 23, 2026, so Universe landed in the same season as his first Korean museum show. At the top of the ladder, his painting The KAWS Album sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong in 2019 for about $14.8 million. At the bottom, a Universe charm costs less than lunch, and the figure is the same one: simplified until it fits a shirt, a jersey or a 4.4 meter statue at a Tokyo villa.
The open question is whether Earth, Moon and Sun get a second season. Most one season UT graphics disappear once the stock does, and the Companion took years of vinyl figures, gallery shows and that Sotheby's sale to become a name people recognize. With a residency title and a seat on future collaborator choices, KAWS has more say than before in whether these three characters get the same runway.
Related: Uniqlo x JW Anderson SS26 Lands in Australia This Week.
Related: Cooper Flagg Opens Flagg Trading Co. in Bangor.
Related: Dodgers Godzilla Minus Zero Bobblehead Night.
Related: KAWS WAS A DISNEY ANIMATOR BEFORE HE MADE THE COMPANION.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is KAWS Universe?
KAWS Universe is a Uniqlo UT collection of tees, sweatshirts and plush charms built around three new KAWS characters named Earth, Moon and Sun, alongside his Companion.
When did the Uniqlo KAWS Universe collection release?
It went on sale September 14, 2026 in markets including the US and Singapore, and September 17, 2026 in the UK, according to Uniqlo's regional pages.
How much does KAWS Universe cost at Uniqlo?
In the US, retail coverage lists adult tees at $29.90, sweatshirts at $49.90 and plush charms at $19.90, while Singapore lists adult tees at S$19.90 and charms at S$14.90.
Is KAWS Uniqlo's artist in residence?
Yes, Fast Retailing named KAWS its first Artist in Residence in September 2025, a role meant to run beyond a single seasonal collection.
Does KAWS Universe include plush charms?
Yes, it is the first KAWS and Uniqlo collection to include plush charms, sold in three designs.
Topics: jw-anderson, kaws-universe, hypebeast, fast-retailing, moma, jw anderson, pop-art, streetwear, fanatics, tate, focus-70-60, artist-in-residence, kaws, uniqlo, ut-collection