Magazine Hijab

F
It’s hard not to relish the idea of this slight and really rather
kittenish woman, whose fashion imagination runs to the most
unexpected interpretations of existing typologies, sitting behind
a desk balancing the books. Though maybe we shouldn’t
be surprised. Her designs, after all, are the product of an
exacting mind.
R
ELEASES
Chitose Abe makes the fashion world use up all its superlatives at once with
her magical designs, which combine the key components of the classic wardrobe
in the most unconventional ways. But there’s nothing whimsical about her
talent, honed at Comme des Garçons; her entrepreneurial determination; or her
individualistic approach to expansion. Since 1999, the 48-year-old Tokyoite has
grown her three labels – Sacai, Sacai Luck and Sacai Man – at an elegantly dignified
pace: she only started showing on the Paris runway three years ago. That’s
when Karl Lagerfeld started sending her flowers.
A
S
H
I
O
N
High-end fashion has been in thrall to its own
heritage for quite a while now. Certain houses
– jigsaw pieces in powerful conglomerates
where big-name designers juggle legacy, relevance
and vast profit requirements (sometimes at the
expense of innovation) – can seem to be buckling
under their own weight. Bad news for some,
perhaps, but not for Sacai. Last February in Paris,
the independent Tokyo brand, known for its
intriguing hybrid garments in luscious colours,
stepped into the spotlight in the most spectacular
way. . “There are still a few days and several important
names left on the Paris calendar,” Phelps
went on, “but the new Sacai collection set the bar
very high today.”
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