The American artist Kaws has once again teamed up with Japanese clothing chain for a series of shirts that were released worldwide. In China, clips show all hell breaking loose.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1135075353615974401
Footage circulating online shows people rushing the stores, even dropping their cell phones as they raced towards the store, pulling shirts off mannequins (and pulled the arms off mannequins to remove the shirts) and getting into fights over the desirable $15 tops.
According to What’s on Weibo, the hashtag “#Everybody Kaws” (#全员kaws#) has 140 million views on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter.
Global Times reports how rumors circulated that this would be Kaws’ last collaboration with Uniqlo. The release was met with long lines around the world, with shoppers snapping up everything they could.
UNIQLO x KAWS
in China pic.twitter.com/3i2FWEEbZS— ωsho (@wsho_game) June 3, 2019
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1135425921672859648
The KAWS x UNIQLO launch was MADNESS 😱 pic.twitter.com/jKbj4IoRvc
— The Sole Supplier (@thesolesupplier) June 3, 2019
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1135605990538338304
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1135633441142165504
Short videos on Chinese social media went viral as they depicted shoppers shoving, wrestling, and fighting to get the latest T-shirt from Japanese fashion company #UNIQLO. #KAWS (Video: PearVideo) https://t.co/ZE8OpmNYzI pic.twitter.com/fG6glBawZC
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) June 3, 2019
KAWSコラボで中国UNIQLOがウォーキング・デッド状態、マネキンが身ぐるみ剥がされてるのやばい
「台に上がってる人！警察呼ぶわよ！！」って言われてる😂 pic.twitter.com/GGTw57uhCP— 紗 (@sish_8) June 3, 2019
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1135369305619673088
When you want Uniqlo's Kaws clothing so much, you rip a mannequin's limbs off. https://t.co/SrMtScponH #EverybodyKAWS pic.twitter.com/yqEPsvToa4
— South China Morning Post (@SCMPNews) June 4, 2019
According to That’s Mag, however, the shirts have been going for up to four times more on Taobao.
I get it. This is a hyped release. People are excited. People want these shirts. But next time, hopefully, Uniqlo can release them in a way that doesn’t lead to fisticuffs.
