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UNIQLO and UNHCR unveil 'Hope Away from Home' graphic shirt collection to support refugees

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UNIQLO and UNHCR unveil 'Hope Away from Home' graphic shirt collection to support refugees

Designed by young artists from refugee and host communities, the shirts are available in select UNIQLO stores in New York, Florida, Hawaii, Washington, Illinois and Massachusetts
25 March 2024
Five t-shirts with the winning designed superimposed on a light blue background with the text "UNHCR x UNIQLO Collection" at the top

From left to right, the five winning shirts designed by Georgette, 14 (DRC/Tanzania); Afya, 14 (USA); Virag, 28 (Hungary); Mawardi, 18 (Somalia/Ethiopia); and Asifwe, 14 (Burundi/USA).

©UNHCR

Today, UNIQLO and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, launched the “Hope Away from Home” graphic t-shirt collection in the U.S., created to support refugees. Featuring designs by five young artists from refugee and host communities, the shirts are available in select UNIQLO stores in 12 countries, including seven stores in the United States. Profits will aid UNHCR’s efforts to address emergencies.

The designs were chosen from over 4,000 submissions in the Youth with Refugees Art Contest, which asked young artists to express hope in the context of forced displacement. The shirts, priced at $24.90, are available in select UNIQLO stores across Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In the United States, the shirts are available in sizes XS-XXL at:

  • New York, NY: SoHo, 5th Avenue
  • Boston, MA: Newbury Street
  • Orlando, FL: Disney Springs
  • Chicago, IL: State Street
  • Seattle, WA: Pine Street
  • Honolulu, HI: Ala Moana

“Each shirt tells creatively a powerful story of hope. Know that by choosing to wear this t-shirt you will be a part of a broader movement to support the work that UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is doing on the ground across the globe in over 135 countries and 550 operations every day to help those fleeing war, conflict and persecution. Your support matters!” said Kelly Clements, UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner.

The five artists behind the t-shirts are Afya, a 14-year-old from the USA , Asifiwe, a 14-year-old refugee from Burundi resettled to the USA; Georgette, a 14-year-old refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo living in Tanzania; Mawardi, an 18-year-old Ethiopian refugee based in Somalia; and Virag, a 28-year-old humanitarian worker from Hungary

 

“A little love from home” – Afya, 14, Massachusetts

“The heart-shaped paper airplane is from someone important. When someone receives it on the other side of the globe, they will be hopeful and optimistic as a result of getting a little love while being away from home.”

Switzerland. 2023 UNHCR x UNIQLO Youth With Refugees Art Contest
Switzerland. 2023 UNHCR x UNIQLO Youth With Refugees Art Contest

"Friend code” – Asifiwe, 14, Burundi/Ohio

“My drawing is a picture of my friend group from when I lived in Burundi. We all follow our friend code that says: ‘My friend squad comes first and nobody can break us apart.’ My friends are a source of strength and hope for me. We may be separate but I am sure we're together in heart and that our memories will continue to live on.”

“One Moon” - Georgette, 14, Tanzania/DRC

“The sky and moon symbolize protection and unity. Despite our differences, we are all under the sky and share one moon, it doesn’t matter where you are, there is only one moon, and you are protected by the sky. I want to be a president because I believe I will have the power to make decisions that will not hurt people; power to end wars in the world.”

Switzerland. 2023 UNHCR x UNIQLO Youth With Refugees Art Contest.
Switzerland. 2023 UNHCR x UNIQLO Youth With Refugees Art Contest.

“Birds from Home” - Mawardi, 20, Somalia/Ethiopia

“I remember the beautiful birds in my home country in the beautiful green forest. My hope is to see these birds again in the future, whether in my home country or somewhere else.”

“Wings of Hope” - Virag, 28, Hungary

"Having met many inspiring asylum-seekers and refugees, I know how important ‘hope away from home’ is to rebuild one's life in a new environment. My drawing aims to express the act of chasing this hope, and the heart symbolizes that it is very much possible to follow your dreams, even if you are far away from home."

Switzerland. 2023 UNHCR x UNIQLO Youth With Refugees Art Contest

A jury of refugees, celebrities, artists and designers was involved in selecting the winning designs. Among them, actress Ella Gross, who promoted the art contest to her 4 million followers, said “Seeing all these amazing and unique drawings has inspired me and given me a fresh perspective on the true meaning of hope.”

Also on the jury, the world’s first female Syrian refugee pilot, Maya Ghazal, who is a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, said “It’s beautiful to read captions from artists being so passionate about the refugee cause, and to see such unity and compassion from around the globe.”

UNHCR and Fast Retailing (UNIQLO’s parent company) have been collaborating since 2006, through clothing assistance for refugees, self-reliance programs, refugee employment and awareness campaigns. The shirt collection is named after UNHCR’s wider Hope Away from Home campaign, calling for urgent action and solidarity to protect refugees’ rights all over the globe.

In addition to a direct donation of $100,000 UNIQLO will make to UNHCR, it will also donate $3 to UNHCR for each purchase of a T-shirt from the collection. UNIQLO will also donate 5,000 T-shirts and 1,000 tote bags from the collection to UNHCR.1 UNHCR will also sell these items internally at the online UNHCR Visibility Shop2, with all proceeds used for UNHCR's refugee support activities.

Media contacts:

UNHCR

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