GU (retailer)
Japanese clothing brand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
GU (Japanese: ジーユー, Hepburn: jīyū) is a Japanese discount casual wear designer, manufacturer, and retailer.[1] It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fast Retailing, the parent company of Uniqlo. The name is a pun of the word jiyū (自由), meaning "liberty, freedom" and its slogan means "more freedom in fashion" (ファッションを、もっと自由に, fasshon o, motto jiyū ni). Its signature product[2][3] is a pair of jeans[4] costing 990 Japanese yen ($9.02 USD),[5] though they ceased production in January 2014.[6] As of 28 February 2025[update], there are 478 locations globally.[1] Francesco Risso has been appointed creative director of GU.
 | |
Native name | 株式会社ジーユー |
|---|---|
Romanized name | Kabushikigaisha Jīyū |
| Company type | KK |
| Industry | Fashion retail |
| Founded | 21 February 1973 |
| Headquarters | , Japan |
Number of locations | 478 (28 February 2025) |
| Parent | Fast Retailing |
| Website | gu-global |
History
GU opened its first shop in Chiba Prefecture in October 2006[7] as a more affordable concept in fashion than Uniqlo. In September 2013, the company opened its first overseas shop in Shanghai,[8][9] later expanding to Taiwan in September 2014[10] and South Korea in September 2018.[11][12] In October 2022, GU opened its first pop-up shop in the United States in New York City, selecting SoHo, Manhattan to test out the North American market.[13][14] GU opened its first permanent global flagship store on 19 September 2024, directly opposite from its former location. The pop-up store closed on 31 July 2024, shortly before the flagship store's grand opening.[15][16]
