UNIQLO Singapore has launched its first global brand UTme! collaboration, partnering with Nissin and local artist JONTBOY on a playful T-shirt series inspired by cup noodles. Featuring eight designs with local easter eggs and two store exclusives, the collection blends global nostalgia with Singaporean creativity, supported by a teaser campaign starring UNIQLO staff.
UNIQLO Singapore is stirring up a new flavour of creativity with its latest UTme! launch, unveiling its first-ever collaboration with a global brand through a playful and distinctly local partnership with instant noodle giant Nissin and Singaporean artist JONTBOY. Blending pop-culture nostalgia with everyday comfort, the new collection reimagines one of Asia’s most beloved snacks into wearable art, marking an evolution in UNIQLO’s approach to its customisable UTme! platform.
The collaboration signals a departure from the retailer’s recent UTme! partnerships, which have largely spotlighted heritage Singaporean brands such as Ya Kun Kaya Toast and Old Chang Kee. This time, the goal was to “do things differently,” said Paulene Ong, marketing director at UNIQLO Singapore, who shared that the team wanted to bring in a brand that enjoys worldwide recognition while continuing to elevate local creative voices. Nissin, famed for its invention of the world’s first cup noodles and its consistent innovation in flavour and format, emerged as the perfect cultural bridge — global in reach, yet deeply familiar to Singaporeans.
Ong explained that what made Nissin a compelling partner wasn’t just its iconic status, but its dedication to research and development, a value that she said reflects UNIQLO’s LifeWear philosophy. Both brands, she noted, are driven by a commitment to evolving with the needs of their communities. “From pioneering the world’s first cup noodles, to continuous innovation of new flavours, this also mirrors our LifeWear philosophy — how our clothing is always evolving to suit the needs of our community,” she said. That shared ethos forms the backbone of the UTme! offering, which encourages creativity, customisation and personal expression through art-led apparel.
The UNIQLO x Nissin UTme! collection consists of eight T-shirt designs and six embroidery motifs inspired by Nissin’s bold packaging, signature illustration styles and its colourful lineup of flavours, including chilli crab, tom yam seafood, chicken and seafood. Each design is infused with touches of local humour and cultural nuance, drawing from JONTBOY’s distinctive style and the sensibilities of Singaporean noodle lovers. One standout is a seafood-themed illustration featuring a Merlion spouting noodles — a tongue-in-cheek twist on the national symbol that has quickly become a talking point among early viewers. Another design offers a whimsical step-by-step guide to making the “perfect” cup noodles in just three minutes, a response to the team’s discovery that many Singaporeans “don’t know how to make it properly,” according to Ong.
The team’s attention to detail extends to the UTme! store exclusives, available only at Orchard Central, Jewel Changi Airport and VivoCity. These special designs spotlight the beloved Demae Iccho Boy and his family, reinterpreted in Japanese samue outfits embellished with kebaya-inspired prints — a blend of Japanese and Peranakan influences that symbolise the collaboration’s cross-cultural spirit. Surrounding them are local touchpoints such as the tingkat, further anchoring the designs in the textures and traditions of Singaporean life.
Through these artistic choices, the collaboration achieves a balance between global familiarity and local flavour. For consumers, it offers the chance to wear something that taps into an everyday object — a cup of instant noodles — but elevates it into a playful celebration of identity, cultural memory and comfort food nostalgia. For UNIQLO, it’s another step in exploring how UTme! can evolve beyond standard graphic tees into a platform for meaningful, imaginative, and culturally relevant storytelling.
To build anticipation for the launch, the brand has been rolling out a series of teasers on Instagram featuring employees enjoying Nissin cup noodles in cosy winter settings. These posts are part of a broader effort to keep UNIQLO’s staff at the forefront of its brand storytelling. Ong shared that employees across roles and nationalities continue to be featured prominently because they “represent the true heart of our brand.” The winter-themed teasers also playfully contrast with Singapore’s tropical climate, evoking the universal comfort of steaming noodles enjoyed indoors — a scene that resonates across cultures.
The collaboration sits at the intersection of food culture, fashion and creative expression, tapping into a growing appetite for lifestyle crossovers that marry nostalgia with design. Instant noodles have long held a special place in the hearts of Singaporeans, from late-night study snacks and office quick-fixes to a culinary symbol of childhood and everyday convenience. Nissin, whose products have become staples in pantries across the region, is especially tied to that emotional fabric. By transforming these familiar flavours and visuals into artistic expressions on clothing, UNIQLO is giving consumers a way to wear their favourite memories, literally on their sleeves.
For UNIQLO Singapore, the UTme! platform has always functioned as both a creative laboratory and a community touchpoint. Past collaborations with homegrown brands played heavily on themes of national identity and cultural pride. With Nissin, the brand is exploring how international icons can also become vessels for local storytelling when placed in the hands of artists like JONTBOY, who understands Singaporean humour, quirks and sensibilities. It’s an approach that allows UTme! to reach wider audiences while retaining the hyperlocal flavour that has come to define many of its best-loved collections.
JONTBOY’s involvement has played a crucial role in capturing that balance. Known for his playful aesthetic and ability to translate everyday items into striking illustrations, he infuses each design with a sense of joy and irreverence. His signature style brings out the personality of Nissin’s characters and packaging while embedding subtle “easter eggs” that invite fans to take a second look. With noodles flying, characters interacting with local symbols, and Singaporean motifs tucked into every other corner, the T-shirts deliver both visual energy and the pleasure of discovery.
For UNIQLO, the success of UTme! lies as much in the creative partnerships as in the community conversations they spark. Each collection becomes a piece of social currency — something to talk about, photograph, share and gift. The Nissin collaboration, with its blend of global recognition and local specificity, is poised to generate the kind of buzz that UTme! thrives on, especially among younger consumers who gravitate toward novelty and cultural mashups.
As the collection rolls out in stores, the excitement reflects more than just demand for another T-shirt drop. It captures the joy of seeing everyday objects reimagined, of watching familiar brands collaborate in unexpected ways and of celebrating the creativity that emerges when global icons meet local artists. While noodles and clothes may seem an unusual pairing at first glance, the UNIQLO x Nissin UTme! collection demonstrates how thoughtful design can turn the ordinary into something delightfully expressive.
Ultimately, the project encapsulates what UTme! has been striving for: accessible creativity, personalised fashion and the celebration of small cultural moments that bring people together. With Nissin’s rich heritage, JONTBOY’s local artistry and UNIQLO’s design philosophy aligned, the collection feels both fresh and comfortingly familiar — a testament to how even the simplest items, like cup noodles, can spark imagination when seen through a creative lens.
