KAWS

KAWS: New York artist and designer

Who is KAWS?

KAWS is the pseudonym of Brian Donnelly, an American artist and designer born in 1974 in Jersey City, New Jersey, who works in Brooklyn, New York. According to Wikipedia, he got his start in New York in the 1990s with illegal graffiti and by altering ads on billboards, bus shelters, and phone booths.

What makes KAWS’s work distinctive?

His most recognizable character is Companion, modeled after Mickey Mouse, with X-shaped eyes. The first Companion figure was created in 1999, and the XX motif became the artist’s signature, also appearing in his collaborations. KAWS has been collaborating with Uniqlo since 2016, and in September 2025 he became the brand’s first Artist in Residence. Find more Uniqlo clothing in the collection Uniqlo.

KAWS collaborations with Uniqlo, The North Face, and Air Jordan in the collection

KAWS + Warhol UT: a Uniqlo series created to mark the KAWS + Warhol exhibition at The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, which opened on May 18, 2024. The clothing went on sale in August 2024, and according to Highsnobiety, its graphics pair a “love bunnies” sketch and KAWS’s blue BFF with Warhol’s “Banana.” This series includes the black Warhol Graphic 476119 sweatshirt, the black UT Graphic 476352 T-shirt, white Banana and Love T-shirts, a gray Banana crewneck, black Banana socks, the black coach jacket 474138, and the Warhol Graphic 476119 tracksuit set, consisting of a sweatshirt and pants.

KAWS x Uniqlo UT: a white UT Artbook Cover T-shirt, black and white UT BFF T-shirts, and a black BFF crewneck. W In 2023, Uniqlo released a UT collection alongside a KAWS album from Phaidon’s Contemporary Artist Series, featuring Companion and BFF characters.

The North Face jacket: The KAWS x The North Face Retro 1994 Himalayan Parka in Moonlight Ivory comes from the brands’ second joint collection, which, according to Hypebae, went on sale in October 2022 in a black-and-white color palette. Highsnobiety describes the parka as having a water-repellent polyester shell, goose down and feather insulation, a waist drawcord, and a high collar. Find more jackets from the brand in the The North Face.

Shoes: The gray Air Jordan 4 KAWS debuted in March 2017, and the black pair in November 2017, when they were sold through a raffle on the KAWSONE website. Both pairs have suede uppers instead of the TPU elements typical of this model, the Companion character’s hands on the upper, a translucent glow-in-the-dark sole, and the XX logo on the heel in place of the Jumpman. Find other versions of this silhouette in the Air Jordan 4.

KAWS fit and sizing

For the Air Jordan 4 KAWS, you can follow Nike’s recommendations for this model. The brand says that the Air Jordan 4 Retro fits true to size for standard-width feet, and recommends going up half a size for wider feet. Nike also notes that the toe box can feel tighter than on some other sneakers and that a new pair may need a short break-in period.

KAWS x Uniqlo clothing and The North Face parka have different fits and separate size charts, so check the measurements on the product page before choosing a size. If the chart doesn’t answer your questions, contact us.

Why buy KAWS from Saturaise

We guarantee the authenticity of every item from KAWS collaborations with our authenticity guarantee. The collection brings together projects the artist created with three brands: T-shirts, sweatshirts, a tracksuit, a coach jacket, and socks with Uniqlo; the Himalayan Parka with The North Face; and both versions of the Air Jordan 4 KAWS.