GU, Uniqlo’s sister brand, officially launched in the States today with its e-commerce site and New York City flagship store, and Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo and I got a chance to stop in for a sneak peek earlier this week.

GU is part of the Fast Retailing Group, and sister brand to Uniqlo, and equally beloved in their native Japan. They just opened their very first store stateside in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan,

In addition, the retailer has launched its U.S. e-commerce site and app, making GU products available to a national audience for the first time.

TOKYO -- Uniqlo's sister fashion brand GU has set up a head office in New York to oversee the U.S. expansion of the Japanese clothing chain, Nikkei has learned. The new global headquarters will draw up plans on product development, marketing and sales floor design for the global market.