Fashion's newfound obsession with fun and cutesy childhood icons only seems to be gaining steam. First there was the Bambi-themed Stella McCartney ad. Then Harper's Bazaar's September issue paid homage to Sesame Street (a show on which, I might add, Vera Wang and Oscar de la Renta just signed on to have cameos). And Marc Jacobs paired up with none other than Miss Piggy.

Now it seems Uniqlo is hopping on the bandwagon. Women's Wear Daily reports: "The casual apparel firm, owned by Fast Retailing Co. Ltd., said Tuesday it has reached a licensing agreement with the consumer products division of The Walt Disney Company to roll out a line of Disney-themed apparel at its stores next month." In other words, one serious side product of the recession: the fashion industry is turning into a bunch of softies.