Mood Board: Sartorial hybridation has been Chitose Abe’s raison d’être ever since she founded Sacai back in 1999. In the past 19 years, the Japanese designer has consistently explored the myriad ways in which two garments can be assembled to create a surprise. But that doesn’t mean she has sat complacently in her success. Abe is still seeking evolution. This time, her focus was equilibrium. More particularly, the one found in the way asymmetry rebalances once on the body. An obscure premise, perhaps, but one that made for an interesting collection.
Best in show: This time, Sacai’s wabi-sabi sense of beauty concentrated on vertical lines, and the starting point of the collection were the ever-practical vintage military jacket and the trench coat, both of which were metamorphosed through the addition of organza panels, tuxedo sleeves, knitwear, lace details and even a fisherman’s vest. Details got more and more intricate as the show went by, building up to a finale of flower-printed pleated skirts and dresses based on vintage prints by Henri Kvasnevski.
Finishing touches: For S/S 2019, Chitose Abe showed a particular flair for handbags. There was a tote bag – asymmetrical too, you guessed it – with golden zipper details that looked appealing, but it was the leather shopping clutches (mimicking paper boutique bags) in black and white – and in medium and large sizes – which really caught our eyes.
Sacai S/S 2019.
-
A tale of two Audis: the A5 saloon goes up against the A6 Avant e-tronIs the sun setting on Audi’s ICE era, or does the company’s e-tron technology still need to improve?
-
Inside Christian de Portzamparc’s showstopping House of Dior Beijing: ‘sculptural, structural, alive’Daven Wu travels to Beijing to discover Dior’s dramatic new store, a vast temple to fashion that translates haute couture into architectural form
-
A music player for the mindful, Sleevenote shuns streaming in favour of focused listeningDevised by musician Tom Vek, Sleevenote is a new music player that places artist intent and the lost art of record collecting at the forefront of the experience
-
Inside Roger Vivier’s opulent new Paris HQ and archive, a haven for shoe loversWallpaper* takes a tour of ‘Maison Vivier’, an 18th-century hôtel particulier that houses the French shoemaker’s headquarters, studio and archive – an extraordinary collection of over 1,000 pairs of shoes
-
The key takeaways from the S/S 2026 shows: freedom, colour and romance define fashion’s new chapterWe unpack the trends and takeaways from the S/S 2026 season, which saw fashion embrace a fresh start with free-spirited collections and a bold exploration of colour and form
-
The independent designers you might have missed from fashion month S/S 2026Amid a tidal wave of big-house debuts, we take you through the independent displays that may have slipped through the cracks – from beautiful imagery to bookshop takeovers, museum displays and moves across the pond
-
From wearable skincare to scented runways, unpacking the unconventional beauty moments of fashion month S/S 2026The S/S 2026 season featured everything from probiotic-lined athleisure to fragranced runways – and those Maison Margiela mouthguards
-
Pierpaolo Piccioli makes Balenciaga debut ‘from a place of love and connection’Attended by Anne Hathaway and Meghan Markle, the ex-Valentino designer’s first runway display for Balenciaga took place within Kering’s Paris headquarters
-
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez make a bold start at Loewe, inspired by Ellsworth Kelly’s ‘elemental colours’The former Proenza Schouler designers presented their debut collection for Loewe this morning, channelling ‘clarity and colour, sensual physicality, and sunniness’
-
‘Change is inevitable’: Jonathan Anderson’s first Dior womenswear collection recodes the house’s archiveAn audacious collection from the Northern Irish designer, presented in Paris this afternoon, saw him reconsider the Dior archive in his unwaveringly inventive style
-
Acne Studios’ cigar salon runway set is decorated with Pacifico Silano’s homoerotic ‘objects of desire’Brooklyn-based artist Pacifico Silano breaks down his collaboration with Acne Studios, seeing his work – which zooms in on 1970s and 1980s gay erotica – backdrop the brand’s S/S 2026 show today in Paris
