Sacai A/W 2019 Paris Fashion Week Women’s

Moodboard: Hybridisation is a key word for Chitose Abe. More and more in the last few years, her brand Sacai has been defined by that concept, but its meaning has changed with time. Lately, it mostly meant clothes divided vertically, combining two different pieces in one. Monday’s show, however, proved that the Japanese designer has evolved. At the basement of the Palais de Tokyo, she showed a collection that was all about layering, but also one that perfectly exemplified where fashion is heading this season.

Best in show: It was a focused show that toyed with fashion’s current obession with bourgeois codes. The silhouette was strong at the shoulders, voluminous yet cinched at the waist, and what the layering did was combine different – and unexpected – pieces of clothing. Abe said the inspiration came from her own youth, when she layered Ralph Lauren kids’ button-downs over vintage dresses. Thus, cropped jackets, fitted perfectos and mini parkas were associated with maxi trenchcoats, elongated bomber jackets and quilted knee-length outerwear. But the designer also focused on knitwear, creating a series of chunky Fair Isle sweaters opened on the side and zipped horizontally. Pieces that clearly demanded less of the wearer yet were truly unique.

Finishing touches: Abe usually loves a good slogan tee, usually inserting one or two in her collections almost as an unexpected in-joke. This time, though, she swapped it for a dripping paint print, inspired, she said, by Jackson Pollock (not his canvases, but as in the paint-covered floor of his studio). Several long coats were covered in it too. Accessories also caught the audience’s eye. This season, Sacai collaborated with two other brands in their creation: French-born Charlotte Chesnais designed the golden pieces of jewellery, mostly in the shape of delicate earcuffs, while Tokyo-based brand Native Sons was responsible for the old-Celine-worthy sunglasses.