Uniqlo's food tees draw buzz for looking 'eerily similar' to S'pore brand Musoka Club

Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo's latest campaign spotlighting Singapore's food heritage is getting buzz – but not for the right reasons.

- Amanda Chai

Its new UTme! Local Delights Collection, a limited series of T-shirts released on May 23 as part of the brand's annual Thank You Festival, has drawn comparisons online to small local clothing brand Musoka Club (musokaclub.com).

Uniqlo's series features designs inspired by iconic local dishes in five prints depicting kaya toast, chilli crab, chicken rice, laksa and bak kut teh. The shirts, priced at $29.90 each, were designed in collaboration with local artists Tiffany Lovage and Kenneth Seow. They are sold only at selected Uniqlo stores, including in Orchard Central and Jewel Changi Airport.

They caught the attention of Musoka Club's founder, who wishes to be known only as Ms Elaine, a week ago when Uniqlo started teasing its series on Instagram.

She began receiving messages from customers asking if the series was Musoka Club's collaboration with Uniqlo.

Some followers left comments on Uniqlo Singapore's Instagram, saying the designs look "eerily similar" and remarking that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but copying without credit is not – please respect original work".

Musoka Club's Dress Code: Kopitiam Series collection was launched in July 2023 for Singapore's 58th birthday, and featured the same five local dishes as well as a sixth, nasi lemak. The T-shirts are priced at $59 each.

Ms Elaine tells The Straits Times that the resemblance was "too similar" for her to stay silent.