October 1, 2018 |
Chitose Abe’s immaculate technical skills are world-known. The way she designs clothes is on a completely different level, with the skilful sensibility for deconstruction that most designers can only attempt. The team at Sacai are probably some of the finest tailors in the industry. But this season, the stellar cuts were a supporting act. For a change, colours played the leading role in a Sacai collection. And oh, how many there were. Starting with the crispest of white poplins, leading through some vivid citrus hues, into the muddy waters of greens, purples and navies, finishing off with the same crisp whites, now covered in splashes of all the hues that came before.
Poetic like in the finest of Vivaldi’s operas, the finale felt like a masterful culmination of beauty re-imagined. And when we said the cuts were a supporting act, we didn’t mean they were anything less than the usual Sacai level of spectacular. The finest of asymmetry – at moments in colour, at others in fabric or shape. It all derived from a vintage military cape, asymmetry of which arrives from functionality.
The new Sacai version of this was a whole wardrobe of wearable clothes that signify a level of intelligence. All those pieces came together harmoniously, the cuts and panels fitting into every empty space there were. Visually maximalist, it felt like the most fabulous game of Tetris came to life in the form of flawlessly crafted clothes. Chitose Abe won the round.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans.
