UNHCR and UNIQLO unveil “Hope Away from Home” graphic t-shirt collection to support refugees

On 15 March, UNIQLO and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, launched the “Hope Away from Home” graphic t-shirt collection in India, created to support refugees. By inviting submissions from around the world, the contest encourages a global dialogue on the challenges faced by refugee communities and allows young artists the scope to express solidarity with refugees through their art. Featuring designs by five young artists, including three refugees, these t-shirts are available in select UNIQLO stores in 12 countries.

Profits from this collection will aid UNHCR’s efforts to address emergencies globally.

The designs were chosen from over 4,000 submissions in the Youth with Refugees Art Contest, which asked young artists to express hope in the face of forced displacement. The t-shirts are available in select UNIQLO stores across Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

“Each t-shirt in the ‘Hope Away from Home’ collection represents a gesture of hope and solidarity,” said Areti Sianni, Chief of Mission for UNHCR India and the Maldives. “The t-shirts are a bridge between wearers and a broader movement of people in support of refugees and UNHCR’s work. They symbolise a commitment to stand together in solidarity with refugees worldwide.”

The five artists behind the t-shirts are Asifiwe, a 14-year-old refugee from Burundi resettled to the US; Virag, a 28-year-old humanitarian worker from Hungary; Mawardi, a 20-year-old Ethiopian refugee in Somalia; Afya, a 14-year-old from the US; and Georgette, a 14-year-old refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Tanzania.

“My friends are a source of strength and hope for me,” said Asifiwe, whose friends have found safety in different parts of the world after fleeing war. “We may be separate, but we are together in heart and our memories live on.”

A jury of refugees, celebrities, artists and designers selected the winning designs. Among them, actress Ella Gross, who promoted the art contest to her 4 million followers, said: “Seeing all these amazing and unique drawings has inspired me and given me a fresh perspective on the true meaning of hope.”

Also on the jury, the world’s first female Syrian refugee pilot, Maya Ghazal, a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, said: “It’s beautiful to read captions from artists being so passionate about the refugee cause, and to see such unity and compassion from around the globe.”

UNHCR and our global partner, Fast Retailing (UNIQLO’s parent company), have been collaborating since 2006, through clothing assistance for refugees, self-reliance programmes, refugee employment and awareness campaigns. The t-shirt collection is named after UNHCR’s wider Hope Away from Home campaign, calling for urgent action and solidarity to protect refugees’ rights all over the globe.

Overview of the HOPE AWAY FROM HOME Collection

Name:                          HOPE AWAY FROM HOME
Launch date:               Friday, 15 March, 2024
Availability:                  UNIQLO stores with the UTme! service in 12 markets around
                                     the world, including Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, Delhi

Media contacts:

UNHCR

• Rama Dwivedi, [email protected]

Uniqlo India

• Deviyani Gupta, [email protected]

Links

• Youth with Refugees Art Contest
• Discover the profiles of the five winners