Did UNIQLO copy MUSOKA?

A Visual Deep Dive Into Kaya Toast Design (and other unsolicited commentary)

Feature from @straits_times instagram account and the comments that inspired this piece. Unsolicited note on pricing differences: $59 from Musoka, $29.90 from Uniqlo

In April 2025, UNIQLO dropped a new illustration in its cultural series — a detailed rendering of Singapore’s beloved kaya butter toast set. But shortly after, comparisons began surfacing online: wasn’t this just a copy of MUSOKA’s now-iconic Kaya Toast Club design?

I let myself get sucked into this internet-instagram rabbit hole so will quickly articulate why while there are similarities, I don’t think it is a rip-off. Not by artistic, legal, or even creative standards in spite of the apparent similarities.

tldr

Left: kaya toast set poster from posterhub which uses basically the same visual layout just with more mandarin characters; middle+right: minature kayatoast sold on carousell by mini.collectibles.1

• The layout and tone are fundamentally different in intent and execution.
• The toast set is a shared cultural motif (see similar artistic expressions of love for the food above); similarly elements like the green floral cup is a ubiquitous design in kopitiams*, not original Intellectual Property (IP)