With input from Marimekko, Uniqlo’s best-selling bag is looking more fetching

By now, these sort-of crescent-shaped bags are rather ubiquitous. Not only have Uniqlo made the Mini Round Shoulder Bag the must-have of 2023 (as reported by Lyst: “most searched”), they have made them somewhat collectible in versions with prints, such as those conceived in collaboration with the Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli. But if those repeated patterns are a little too much for you, or even kiddy, then Uniqlo’s latest pairing with the Finnish house Marimekko—in a fairly low-key comeback last September—might be it for you. Marimekko is known for their prints, especially their abstract florals, but in this collaboration—the brands’ sixth, abstract and graphic prints are featured and, for these bag, regularly-placed irregular dots known as Kivet (or stones in Finnish).

Uniqlo’s output with Marimekko has been encouragingly successful and is especially appealing to a certain demographic, as we have observed since 2018, when their first collab was announced. Most of the garments and accessories have adhered to Marimekko’s preference for lose and unchallenging shapes, featuring prints that are considered classics to the brand. This time, the 64-year-old Kivet, which has been inspirational to other brands, makes for a minimalist print on both the garments and the accessories that are, this time round, more youthful in their styling and contemporary in their colour story. And the Kivet works rather well with the Mini Round Shoulder Bag. Available in three colours, the crossbody sports a grown-up exterior of what has been, until now, a largely easy buy of the very young.

Uniqlo X Marimekko Round Mini Shoulder Bag, SGD19.90, will be available next month at select Uniqlo stores. Photo: Uniqlo