Muji is using NYCxDESIGN 2026 to introduce its ReMuji textile regeneration program to the U.S., pairing the launch with an installation at its Fifth Avenue flagship in Manhattan.
Called “ReMuji: Koi Continuum,” the project features suspended koinobori, or Japanese carp streamers, made from reclaimed clothing collected through the brand’s reuse initiative. Textile designer Reiko Sudo and exhibition designer Adrien Gardère developed the installation as an extension of their earlier “Koi Current” project from 2008.
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The exhibition also marks the U.S. debut of ReMuji, which the Ryohin Keikaku-owned company launched in Japan in 2010 to collect, repair and remake used garments. A locally produced assortment of apparel and accessories will debut at the Fifth Avenue store before expanding to additional locations nationwide.
“Adapting our Koinobori installation for ReMuji felt entirely natural: its immersive, dynamic and circular spatial composition resonates with ReMuji’s philosophy of reuse and the ongoing cycle of textiles, while echoing the enduring life cycles of koi and the cultural symbolism of traditional carp streamers in a swirling, school-like formation,” Gardère said.
Sudo, who leads the Tokyo-based textile company NUNO Corporation, has worked with Muji for years on recycled-fabric initiatives. The new installation builds on “Koi Current,” which debuted in 2008 with more than 300 koinobori made from recycled textiles.
“It is believed that samurai families began the custom of flying koinobori in the mid-18th century,” Sudo said. “Today, we have collected used garments from Muji customers and upcycled the fabrics into streamlined koinobori forms, imbued with a contemporary spirit.”
Weekend workshops will be held throughout the exhibition, inviting visitors to physically engage with the themes of circularity and renewal. Using ReMuji fabrics that would otherwise be discarded, participants will craft take-home souvenirs—think coin pouches, keychain tassels, buttons—transforming “remnant materials into functional, meaningful keepsakes.”
“‘ReMuji: Koi Continuum’ by Reiko Sudo and Adrien Gardère expresses Muji’s respect for materials and our belief in giving new life to what already exists,” said Richard Rappaport, president and CEO of Muji USA. “By transforming reclaimed garments into sculptural forms, the installation encourages visitors to see sustainability not as an abstract idea, but as an active and creative practice.”
The exhibition runs from May 14 through June 7 at Muji Fifth Avenue.
