A$AP Rocky has been spotted in Needles’ cult mohair cardigans more times than most of us can count — a piece that’s become shorthand for insider cool across fashion circles. Now, thanks to UNIQLO’s latest collaboration, that cardigan silhouette — reimagined in fleece — is going mainstream. Launching October 30, UNIQLO x Needles takes the Japanese label’s butterfly-logo edge and blends it with LifeWear’s democratic DNA, creating a collection that’s as accessible as it is authentic .
A cult favourite, decoded
Needles has never been about hype for hype’s sake. Founded by Keizo Shimizu in 1995 under the Nepenthes umbrella, the brand carved out a lane that was equal parts offbeat and refined. From track pants with side stripes to its signature butterfly motif — immortalized by A$AP Rocky and later by BTS star Jungkook — Needles has always spoken to the kind of guy who knows his references. These weren’t just clothes, they were cultural markers: vintage-informed, slightly rebellious, but always wearable.
The mohair cardigan in particular became a modern icon, a grunge-meets-luxury layer that feels as at home on a rapper’s shoulders as it does on a Tokyo street. The problem? Accessibility. Needles has always lived in that semi-niche space, beloved by those in the know but hard to score unless you were deep into the game.
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UNIQLO’s remix
That’s where UNIQLO comes in. The Japanese mega-retailer has turned collaborations into an art form. From JW Anderson to Lemaire, from Engineered Garments to White Mountaineering, the brand has made a career out of translating high-design ideas into wearable, everyday pieces. With Needles, the formula is no different: take the cardigan, rework it in fleece, and let it anchor a small but sharp collection of oversized tops and wide-leg pants.
The three-piece lineup includes a full-zip fleece jacket, an oversized cardigan (in solid shades and stripes), and wide pants with understated stripe detailing . Colours are kept simple — black, gray, beige, purple — but the silhouettes and butterfly motif provide the unmistakable Needles touch. It’s genderless, functional, and styled with the kind of louche, relaxed vibe that Shimizu has championed since the brand’s inception.
Simplified, not diluted
Highsnobiety nailed it when it called this collaboration “Needles simplified, not diluted.” That’s the key difference here. UNIQLO doesn’t sand off the edges so much as translate them into utility. The fleece cardigan doesn’t try to replicate Needles’ beloved mohair layer stitch-for-stitch, but it nods to it — a utilitarian twin that carries the same silhouette and cultural weight.
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And that’s the real magic of these UNIQLO collaborations. They meet designers halfway, pulling key elements of their codes and rendering them through UNIQLO’s philosophy of accessibility and everyday LifeWear. It’s not costume, it’s uniform — and that’s why it resonates.
From Tokyo to Toronto
For Canadian shoppers, this collaboration drops October 30 online and in select stores. That matters because it positions Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal not just as satellite markets for big fashion moments but as front-row destinations where global culture collides with everyday wardrobes.
Needles fans who once hunted niche imports or paid resale can now walk into a UNIQLO store and cop a cardigan silhouette that Rocky helped canonize. And for those who’ve never heard of Keizo Shimizu, the butterfly motif might be their first introduction to a brand that has shaped contemporary menswear for decades.
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The bigger picture
At a time when elevated basics are defining modern masculinity, this collaboration feels like a case study in how cultural codes are disseminated. A fleece cardigan isn’t just outerwear anymore — it’s a statement. It’s proof that the most powerful menswear pieces aren’t always the loudest; they’re the ones that bridge insider and outsider, niche and mainstream, heritage and accessibility.
Needles’ butterfly motif, once reserved for those fluent in Japanese streetwear language, is about to be everywhere. But instead of cheapening it, UNIQLO’s translation makes it feel democratic. It’s not about gatekeeping cool, it’s about sharing it.
From cult to closet
The cardigan goes mainstream, yes. But more than that, the UNIQLO x Needles collaboration shows how fashion’s cultural capital is being redistributed — from mohair exclusivity to fleece ubiquity, from A$AP Rocky’s shoulders to your own. And if that’s not the definition of modern style, what is?
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