Mood board: The words ‘MELTING POT’, swirling across the front of a T-shirt, set the mood for Sacai’s A/W 2019 collection. Chitose Abe’s hybridised style has influenced the bricolage attitude seen in many of the collections. A bringing together of the sporty and the suit is a common trick but Abe did it with playful aplomb. Military pieces were studied and peeled apart, formal sleeves were grown onto sportswear. A pale denim jacket morphed into a padded gilet; the heaviness of a wool coat was spliced with a more fluid trench. At Junya Watanabe, the logo for a Milanese pizzeria was printed onto a T-shirt – here, Abe borrowed the iconic green neon sign of London’s renowned Bar Italia and displayed it on the front of a hooded sweat shirt. Italian eateries are having a moment.
Best in show: The opening felt wool pieces had a sculptural sharpness bellied by their flat textile. Biker jacket buckles and belt loops were added onto formal outerwear. Classic flannel pants were blended with performance leggings. Jackets were half faux fur and half fleece. Technical suits in papery nylon had crunch and a soft jersey rib cuff at the ankle. A heavy knit jumper carried a giant cable breaking loose from its pattern, snaking around the neck. Cultural melting pots were mined for their multiplicity, evoking an infectious freedom of being. A waffle knit had a green strip that zipped off around the chest – left unfurled it revealed a bare, upper arm. The skin offered a glimpse of a body cocooned.
Team work: The trimmings of city life were redone, Sacai style. Acetate eyewear had aviator lenses applied directly on top of the frame, made in collaboration with Japanese eyewear brand Native Sons. Custom beaded wireless earphones created with Beats by Dr. Dre. took on the look of trippy, hippie necklaces. The ongoing cult partnership with Nike resulted in crossbreed LDV/Daybreak and Blazer/Dunk styles. Some had fur patches laced down on the top or an extended sole, jutting out from the back. §
