Designer Chitose Abe showed a sensual, energetic mix of women’s pre-fall and men’s, with lots of texture, plays on volume and fun, deconstructed and re-constructed pieces.
The show must go on. That’s just what team Sacai thought, shifting to a 9 a.m. slot on Saturday to avoid disruption from the gilets jaunes protests. Even at that hour, guests on their way to the Grand Palais venue had to cross police lines, file past French military tanks and cross the eerily empty boulevards of central Paris.
The trip was well worth the trouble, though: Designer Chitose Abe showed a sensual, energetic mix of women’s pre-fall and men’s, with lots of texture, plays on volume and fun, deconstructed and re-constructed pieces. “I may not be able to save lives, but I can give positivity and pleasure to people,” said Abe backstage, where Naomi Campbell rushed in to say “Hi” and gush about the eclectic collection – before embracing show opener Kaia Gerber.
Sweaters came in a patchwork of different textures; some had fur shoulders or cuffs while others shimmered with open zips that flashed the flesh. Knitted, fringed ponchos blossomed over the tops of puffers while coats had a similar hybrid charm: A bright orange wool trench was half-herringbone, half-check, while a long dark parka came with white embroidery at the bottom. Other puffers were stylish and sculptural, in A-line shapes or with fluted arms.
Abe mixed classic flannel trousers with performance leggings and made a tailored, single-breasted suit from sports performance fabric. There were dresses galore, including a long, fluttery gray knit with a silky cream panel at the back and a dark one with sheer panels.
The designer called the collection “a stew of sporty, tailored and elegant looks” and said she was aiming to integrate different cultures and tastes. To wit, she sent out a set of hoodies and T-shirts with “Bar Italia London” emblazoned across the front, the famed Soho café she frequented as a student. She said she liked it because “all types of people mingled there.”
See the menswear and womenswear here: @sacaiofficial.
