MUJI x Reiko Sudo and Adrien Gardère Turn Donated Clothing Into “Koi Continuum,” an Exhibition on What Makes Objects Worth Keeping

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Summary

  • MUJI USA is presenting “Koi Continuum” at its Fifth Avenue flagship from May 14 to June 7, a free-to-visit installation created by Japanese textile designer Reiko Sudo and French designer Adrien Gardère as part of the brand’s ReMUJI resource circulation initiative
  • The work transforms customer-donated MUJI garments, collected, dyed, rewashed, and reassembled into koinobori, traditional Japanese carp streamers, that now adorn the store’s interior
  • The exhibition extends the original “Koi Current” installation created by Sudo and Gardère, recontextualizing it through reclaimed materials to explore how objects carry meaning across multiple lives and owners

MUJI USA is showcasing “Koi Continuum,” a stunning art installation at its New York City store from May 14th to June 7th. Designers Reiko Sudo and Adrien Gardère created the piece using clothes donated by MUJI shoppers, turning them into beautiful koinobori – colorful Japanese carp streamers traditionally flown to symbolize health and strength for children.

These carp streamers are made from clothes people returned to MUJI through the ReMUJI program. The garments were dyed, washed again, and taken apart, then reassembled into the streamer shapes you see in the store. Each streamer isn’t a copy of a traditional design, but a unique blend of fabrics, with its appearance determined by the clothes used to create it. The finished piece embodies the history of the original garments and the choices of the people who wore them, even though those clothes no longer exist as they once did.

Reiko Sudo is a highly acclaimed textile designer from Japan, known for blending traditional Japanese crafts with modern manufacturing at NUNO Corporation. Her innovative fabrics are featured in the permanent collections of prestigious museums like MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Since 2008, she’s also been a textile consultant for MUJI. Meanwhile, Adrien Gardère is a Paris-based designer specializing in museum exhibits. His studio has created permanent displays for thirteen major museums and over eighty temporary exhibitions globally, collaborating with renowned architectural firms like Foster + Partners and Herzog & de Meuron. He received the 2020 Medal from the French Academy of Architecture Foundation. Together, Sudo and Gardère lend significant artistic weight to “Koi Continuum,” elevating it beyond a typical retail promotion.

At the heart of this project is ReMUJI, MUJI’s resource circulation program that began in 2010. ReMUJI collects used items, gives them new life, and keeps materials in use – a practice rooted in Japan’s Edo period, when old clothes were often re-dyed to extend their lifespan. MUJI doesn’t see this as simply looking back to the past, but as proof that we can have a different, more sustainable connection with the things we own. The “Koi Continuum” installation demonstrates this idea directly. Instead of just talking about circularity, it showcases reclaimed clothing transformed into something new, inviting visitors to consider an object’s journey from its original form to its current state.

The exhibition feels like a perfect fit for MUJI, a brand known for creating simple, useful products that are built to last. MUJI has long believed that well-made items should have a long life, and ‘Koi Continuum’ takes this idea a step further. It suggests that true longevity isn’t about things staying exactly the same, but about their ability to evolve and change over time.

“Koi Continuum” is on view at MUJI Fifth Avenue from May 14 through June 7.

MUJI Fifth Avenue
475 Fifth Ave
New York, NY

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2026-05-12 11:27