“I’m looking for the unexpected. I’m looking for things I’ve never seen before.”
Printed on the inside of a bomber jacket at Sacai, this quote attributed to American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe doubles as a great summary for Chitose Abe’s modus operandi.
While hybridized designs are her calling card, she said the fall collection “was more about how to create the best shape of the feminine [body]” out of the practical options Abe herself favors, often menswear.
Options were plentiful, such as bisected coats that were half parka, half tailored overcoat and pulled cache-cœur-style at the waist; a military field jacket that was likewise adjusted and came tufted with faux fur in a leopard motif; a cardigan-jacket millefeuille that was buttoned asymmetrically at the side, and a faux-fur chubby which hid a well-cut double-breasted jacket.
Most looks came with a jauntily amplified bow that nodded to Mapplethorpe’s Calla Lilly photograph, one of several images that appeared in collaboration with the late American photographer’s estate.
Untied, this addition to cardigans, poplin shirts and other tailored pieces could be turned into a dickie jacket for more visual layering, but could also be used as a scarf.
Abe, is after all, a practical sort.
That much has always shone through her collections, where no matter how complex a piece appears, putting it on doesn’t require an assembly guide, but it’s also why Sacai swapped a March show for showroom appointments.
Through a translator, Abe explained it was to “explore a new way to show every piece that we create,” whether it’s a runway stunner or something more commercial. It was certainly a joy to see up close a tweed with multicolor mottling that made it look like it was strewn with confetti or feel the hand of meltons or a newly developed back satin.
From June onward, the idea is to have a bigger focus on the men’s collection on the runway, a segment that accounts for around 30 percent of the business and where the company feels there’s more potential.
Pre-collections will be restructured as womenswear continues to have legs for the brand, which has topped the $100-million mark in sales, according to market sources.
No secrets there: she makes seriously good clothes.
Meanwhile, the brand will also be putting a strong focus on accessories, starting with the new Lock bag that was shown alongside Abe’s fall collection.
Until now, a handful of unique or quirky designs occasionally appeared but this capacious soft tote signals the brand’s ambitions in the category. There’s room to grow since rtw accounts for 99 percent of the business, Abe deadpanned.
