TAION x Universal Works. A Future Friendship Project.

25.09.2026

The best collaborations are about more than bringing two names together. They are about what happens when different ideas, expertise and ways of doing things meet.

TAION means “body temperature” in Japanese, a fitting name for a brand that has built its reputation on a specialist understanding of down, how it performs, how it layers and how it can become part of everyday clothing. Our world is a broad one, taking in workwear and tailoring, military clothing and sportswear, music and subculture, with a particular interest in good fabric, useful details and the unexpected combinations that happen when those references meet. This collection is where those two perspectives come together.

We first met TAION in a shared showroom in Paris and found plenty of common ground. Our first collection together was part of our Future Friendship Project, an ongoing series connecting Universal Works with like-minded brands and companies through shared values, mutual expertise and a belief in Peace, Love and Soul. Now in its second instalment, the idea remains the same: to build relationships across countries and borders that can develop over time, rather than beginning and ending with a single collection.

At the heart of the collection are two of our most recognisable styles. The Cardigan and Rams Jacket, both traditionally made in wool fleece, have been reworked in signature TAION down, in a broad palette that moves from easy seasonal shades, including exclusive black versions available only from UW and TAION, through pink and yellow to our new Cloud Camo print. Alongside them, the Down Mod Parka from our first collection returns in new colourways.

The RAF Jacket explores the idea of layering, pairing a water-resistant outer inspired by an old RAF flying jacket with a removable down liner, allowing each to be worn separately or together. Military references continue across both the RAF Jacket and Mod Parka with six removable badges, drawing on traditional insignia, British subcultures, music and some of the interests we have discovered we share along the way. Wear ours, remove them or add your own.

Rounding out the collection is a reversible down trapper hat in five combinations, taking a familiar cold-weather shape and giving it the TAION treatment.

This collection reflects a shared appreciation for practical, well-considered clothing. Familiar Universal Works shapes are reimagined through TAION's specialist approach to down, creating pieces that feel true to both brands.

This summer, the opening of our Tokyo store took us to Japan, giving us the opportunity to visit the TAION team in their hometown of Nagoya before heading back to Tokyo to photograph the collection out in the city. Against its frenetic pace, we looked for the quieter moments in between, capturing the collection in surroundings that felt entirely fitting for a partnership that continues to develop season after season.

A Future Friendship Project, with plenty more to come.