UNIQLO Appoints Japan's Youngest Everest Summiteer as Global Brand Ambassador

Uniqlo is breaking its streak of male ambassadors with 19-year-old Marin Minamiya, the youngest Japanese person to have ever reached the summit of Mount Everest (she conquered it in May this year).

Pasang Tshering Sherpa, Marin’s local trekking agent, said she made it to the top of the 8,848m peak as part of an 18-member team via the southeast ridge route in Nepal. Her expedition was organised by International Mountain Guides, a US based expedition organiser.

Uniqlo will continue to support her through this partnership while working with her on product development, and in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and their initiatives to enhance customers’ daily lives through LifeWear.

Marin is studying political science and economics at Waseda University, which Tadashi Yanai, the chairman and CEO of Uniqlo’s parent company Fast Retailing, also attended.

“I’ve been a Uniqlo devotee for a long time, relying on the amazing functionality of its clothing in the harsh environments of Everest and other mountains or when I’m training or simply out and about,” Marin said in a statement.

Yanai said that there will be new collections coming up in collaboration with the new brand ambassador. “Her desire to keep taking on challenges perfectly matches the relentless Uniqlo commitment to innovation,” he said. “We look forward to collaborating with her to develop new LifeWear items that leverage advanced technologies while helping her to realise her dreams.”