Even the designers Uniqlo has hired must work within the narrowly drawn parameters of Uniqlo's basic merchandise. The most extravagant design in the store is a white leather motorcycle jacket for US$299.
Attracting big name -- or even not-so-big name -- designers has proved effective for the image of American retailers. But its value to consumers is less clear, and likely to diminish, as stores dig deeper into the designer gene pool.
In interviews outside Uniqlo's temporary store in SoHo, some shoppers said they bought bargain fashions based on style and quality, rather than the reputation of a designer.
Francine Hunter McGivern, a 56-year-old Manhattan real estate broker, has stopped shopping at H&M because, she said, "the quality diminished since it opened."
But the sweaters she bought at Uniqlo's temporary stores have survived a year's worth of washing and drying. "I am already a loyal customer," she said. "It's high quality for the price."
But is it fashion?
"Not to me," she said. "I pay a lot for fashion. I am not looking for a bargain. You put this in your wardrobe to mix and match with the rest of your clothes."
JuJean Tran, 23, purchased a butterfly-patterned T-shirt for US$15.50 from a booth set up on the sidewalk outside the SoHo construction site.
"Nobody ever knows who is behind these big brands," she said. "Who cares, if it's cute?"
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