Japan’s UNIQLO may take on Filipino designers

Clothing retailer UNIQLO of Japan may take on Filipino designers once the brand is established in the Philippines, Katsumi Kubota, chief operating officer of Fast Retailing Ltd. said Friday.   Fast Retailing is the holding company that operates the brand in the Philippines, along with SM Retail Inc.   “In the future, yes, we are planning on taking on Filipino designers,” Kubota told GMA News Online at the first UNIQLO store opening in the Philippines Friday morning.   However, Kubota clarified that it may take some time before it happens. “Before we go for that, we really have to work hard to establish our own UNIQLO brand.   “So once the UNIQLO brand is established here, then we can look into that opportunity.”   Its Philippine operations are expected to yield employment opportunities for Filipinos. The first UNIQLO branch in SM Mall of Asia employs 123 people.   “Our target for the next three years is 50 stores. So you can do the math, you can imagine how many people we are going to employ,” he said.   Kubota clarified that they will not employ people to produce clothes.   “The clothing is not manufactured here. They come from China and other Asian countries. UNIQLO does not own any factory,” Kubota added. —VS, GMA News