Sundae School x uka Unveil New Collaboration with Limited-Edition Products and NYC Pop-Up
Sundae School, the Korean-inspired fashion and lifestyle brand, and uka, Tokyo’s prestigious beauty innovator, announce their new collaboration—a celebration of transformation through tradition reimagined. Two visionary brands rooted in Asian heritage reimagine traditional beauty and fashion for the modern self-explorer, as uka, symbolized by the butterfly’s emergence (羽化), meets Sundae School’s remix of tradition with contemporary culture. This partnership introduces two limited-edition products—uka x Sundae School Nail Oil and uka x Sundae School Kenzan Brush—alongside a 3-day pop-up in New York City’s Lower East Side from April 18-20, 2025.
“When we connected with uka it felt like finding a kindred spirit. uka’s idea of emergence and transformation perfectly vibes with what we’ve been doing since day one: remixing tradition with counterculture.” said Dae Lim, Founder of Sundae School. “At Sundae School, we’ve never been about following someone else’s rules of beauty or style—we’re about intentionally breaking them. This collab brings together our brand philosophies to create something that honors our shared Asian heritage while completely reimagining it for today. Both our brands understand that true transformation happens when you stop following the path and start blazing your own. Our collaboration isn’t just celebrating uka’s US launch and our 7th anniversary—it’s an invitation to experience what happens when two brands refuse to stay in their lanes.”
“Most brands that are praised as something completely new and unprecedented eventually end up becoming just another ordinary name.To avoid that fate, we must constantly seek innovation, step into stimulating spaces, and keep trying approaches no one else has attempted,” said uka CEO Hiroyuki Wantanbe. “With that mindset, uka has continued its journey in Tokyo. The moment I encountered Sundae School in Brooklyn, I sensed the same spirit—genuine innovation. Kindred spirits destined to meet. Unstoppable energy. The breeze of Asia. Perfect timing. Let’s release that foggy poison through our fingertips. Let’s let go of those hazy traumas from our scalps. With Sundae School and uka joining forces, we’re bringing a new kind of Asian healing and beauty to NYC—something no one has ever experienced before.”
A Fusion of Heritage and Intentional Transformation
uka (羽化), meaning “emergence” in Japanese, reflects the metamorphosis of a butterfly—a fitting symbol for a brand founded by a female entrepreneur who transformed her grandfather’s barbershop into a beauty empire. Renowned as “Japan’s Total Beauty Salon” and serving over 130,000 customers annually in its exclusive Tokyo salons, uka now brings its legacy to the U.S. with a new eco-friendly product line. Partnering with Sundae School, this collaboration embodies the art of intentional metamorphosis—true transformation isn’t accidental, it’s an intentional journey. Together, they celebrate mindful rituals that lead to authentic self-expression, whether through uka’s natural haircare formulations or Sundae School’s thoughtfully crafted designs, blending Japanese beauty traditions with Korean-inspired innovation.
Both uka and Sundae School believe that true beauty radiates from inner confidence. This partnership creates space for discovering your authentic self through both inner care and outer expression, delivering high-quality, natural-ingredient-driven products that honor their shared Asian heritage while reimagining it for today’s world.
Limited-Edition Products: Rituals of Beauty and Confidence
- uka x Sundae School Nail Oil: A nourishing blend of natural ingredients, fusing uka’s salon-tested expertise with Sundae School’s playful sophistication—an intentional ritual that nurtures beauty from within. Infused with a lavender and vanilla scent, it leads you to a sweet, dreamlike happiness.
- uka x Sundae School Kenzan Brush: A scalp-massaging tool designed for relaxation and wellbeing, marrying uka’s heritage with Sundae School’s bold aesthetic—a transformative act of self-care that inspires confidence to express. In the bath, use it with shampoo and conditioner brushes or for a massage in the tub; out of the bath, it’s great not only for the scalp but also for acupressure on the shoulders, neck, and soles of the feet.
The Sundae School x uka collaboration products will debut exclusively at the NYC pop-up from April 18-20, before launching online at the uka USA website on April 21.
NYC Pop-Up: Where Tradition Meets Transformation
From April 18-20, 2025, Sundae School and uka will host an immersive pop-up at Blind Reason in NYC’s Lower East Side, bringing their vision of transformation through tradition reimagined to life.
- Friday, April 18: 4 PM – 8 PM
- Saturday, April 19: 12 PM – 6 PM
- Sunday, April 20: 12 PM – 6 PM
The pop-up shop will showcase Sundae School apparel, Sundae Flowers, and uka’s eco-conscious beauty line, including the beloved IZU series. Exclusive to the event, the 420 Mochi Drop featuring Sundae School’s iconic jerseys will be available to shop in person for the first time, before it is officially available online. This experience celebrates the art of intentional metamorphosis, where mindful rituals through uka’s natural formulations and Sundae School’s thoughtful designs lead to authentic self-expression.
About Sundae School
Sundae School is a lifestyle brand that makes high-quality goods for high-minded people. Born in Seoul and raised in California, and now based in New York City, the brand seamlessly blends Korean heritage with counterculture, creating a distinctive “smokewear” aesthetic for the modern self-explorer. Founded by siblings Dae and Cindy Lim, Sundae School reimagines traditional Korean elements through a contemporary lens, catalyzing change through shared collective Asian American experiences while demystifying counterculture. What began as streetwear designed for cannabis consumption has evolved into a cultural movement exploring the intersection of religion, education, and tradition with modern self-expression. As a team of design-driven, product-oriented creatives, Sundae School crafts apparel, accessories, and premium hemp products that empower authentic transformation. Committed to representation and inclusivity, Sundae School continues to build a global community that celebrates diversity, creativity, and the art of intentional rebellion.
About uka
uka (羽化), meaning “metamorphosis” in Japanese, like a chrysalis becoming a butterfly, embodies a vision to be the happiest place on Earth—where feeling beautiful and being complimented brings joy, spanning hair, nails, hands, skin, face, body, mind, family, friends, and the planet, creating beauty and happiness for all. From this vision, uka’s total beauty was born. Founded in 1946 as a barbershop, uka expanded in 1996 with a nail department led by Kiho Watanabe, a leader in editorial shoots and advertising. Today, it operates Tokyo salons offering hair, nail, head spa, esthetics, and eyelash services, crafting award-winning, eco-friendly home care products like the 2024 BITEKI and MAQUIA-winning uka IZU Shampoo & Conditioner for Damaged Hair and the 2017 “uka Color Base Coat Zero,” with nail oil earning the VOGUE BEAUTY AWARD until last year. Beyond beauty, uka’s “ukafe” promotes inner wellness with health-conscious ingredients, reflecting its holistic approach to transformation.
Author Profile
- I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!
