First, the final product. Watch the video on the left (if you’re using desktop). If for any reason you can’t view the clip on this page, watch the Instagram Reel here.
This video was produced for Uniqlo India for the launch of the Uniqlo.com online store in India on July 30, 2021.
The music used is a track from the nightly store playlist at Uniqlo stores around the world. The track name is Yuzu Lust and the artist name is Kiat.
Below I will explain in detail how I came up with this and how my brain works. I thought it would be interesting to document it, if only for myself. But I thought it would be a good idea to get involved in the launch of content creation.
Uniqlo’s PR agency contacted us to announce the launch of an online store and discuss potential collaboration. I won’t go into details, but the basic outline was that I would visit the store, pick a look, take photos, and share those images as content on the launch date.
I wanted to create a look that was fun but not too casual, and a look that hadn’t been attempted before. My favorite clothes to wear are jeans and t-shirts. Then proceed with jeans and a white collared shirt. However, the two pieces that completed the look this time were the JW Anderson & Uniqlo collaboration skirt and the Mame Koroguchi collaboration bra top. I had never worn a bra top before and while I was nervous (showing cleavage is not considered kosher in many Indian brands) I thought to myself, “Fuck it. You have one life. It’s never too late.” Plus, since Uniqlo is an international brand, I knew they wouldn’t mind.
A photo of the piece before sending it to me.
But I didn’t want the bra top to scream, so I decided to add a loose-fitting Italian Mafia-style linen shirt over it. In my head I knew exactly how I was going to style it and now that I can see the end result, it worked. I’m also feeling a little more self-conscious than usual because I’ve gained 10 kilos during the pandemic. I didn’t want too much of my body showing. Nonetheless, I wanted it to be compelling enough to entice the viewer to read the caption and figure out what I’m doing with this look.
As soon as the clothes arrived I tried them on to make sure everything fit. I then hand washed everything individually, which was a good thing because the color didn’t bleed into my bra top. Some of it ended up on my shirt because I rolled them so close together that the shirt stuck to my bra top. I then had to soak the area in a bowl of Vanish (a stain remover used in laundry) to fix the problem.
I chose shoes. It had to be a heel. I own exactly one pair so I have no choice. Jewelry had to be minimal. I focused more on my brooch (it’s from the Bhojpatra series, so it’s already quiet and elegant). The earrings are simple gold and pearl embellishments.
Since I currently have pink/red hair, I thought it would go well with the Uniqlo brand colors. Uniqlo’s logo is red and white.
Below are some edited photos used in the final product. The image was taken in a busy desk area. Taken with a Nikon D8100 using a 24-70mm f 2.8 lens and an in-camera speedlight. The remote control is in my pocket, that is, my skirt pocket.
The images were imported into Adobe Lightroom, where I selected 3-4 final images and set them to work in Adobe Photoshop. After cleaning up the skin, I cut myself out of the scene and placed the cutout over a solid color. I chose a calm color because it goes well with Uniqlo’s overall clothing color and the clothes I’m wearing, as well as the background curtain in the original screen.
We then tried several video options to see which worked best. One of the things mentioned in the briefing was that the Uniqlo.com store would offer customers over 12,000 items to shop online. For shoppers, this is a great opportunity to choose from a variety of options to create a look that suits you. Or, you can collect your entire wardrobe into separate items and mix and match them.
This led me to select a particular video where the images were pixelated and merged into my photo above. For the purpose of this video, I used an app called MirrorLab, which I’ve been using for several years and is mainly focused on experimental ideas.
Some screenshots from the video to give you an idea of what’s going on. I thought the red bits went well with the Uniqlo logo color.
Once I was happy with the video and made sure I had a 30-second version for Instagram Reels (now it can be up to 60 seconds long!), it was time to choose music. I did a little research online to see if there was any music directly related to the Uniqlo brand. And there it is! Uniqlo stores play two separate playlists during the day and at night. Some of these lists vary by country, but the most popular ones had a few tracks that went perfectly with my videos (IMHO).
The same track was also available as music on Instagram Reels!
I entered a caption for the Reel and saved it to Drafts in the Instagram app. In retrospect, it was a bad idea. Drafts can be somewhat uncertain and unpredictable. Luckily, I had a copy of the caption saved in the Notes app on my phone.
I uploaded the reel, felt pretty excited about myself and had *some* engagement, but nowhere near as much as I had imagined! Maybe they should have used a popular Bollywood track haha.
A few hours later, I posted the final still image from the shoot as a static post to my feed with a nearly identical caption, and the image received good engagement and response. Bra tops are popular.
We’re also sharing additional images from this shoot. There were some things I played with and some behind-the-scenes stories.
The brand gave me clothes as a gift. This blog post is not part of that exchange. I am writing an article for my blog. But it’s a big deal that there is now an extensive Uniqlo.com store. I personally buy Uniqlo. All winter underwear/thermal clothing are Uniqlo’s Heat Tech!
Well, here it is. A behind-the-scenes look at how my brain works and how I create content. What else do you want to know? I consult with individuals and businesses to help them figure out their brand’s journey online through consulting calls. Additionally, IGTV has tons of video clips, YouTube has longer videos, and our podcast, The Naina Redhu Experience, has audio-only.
