Sacai’s heroic hybridization with Pendleton

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Jun 23, 2018

The founder of Sacai, designer Chitose Abe, is famous for practically inventing a fashion category – assemblage garments, or composite couture. And this season in a bravura co-ed show – and great fashion statement – Abe gave her spring 2019 collection a Western twist with a link-up with Pendleton, the noted America outdoors marque.

“Free form; hybridization; mixing materials and breaking down pre-conceived notions about fashion,” explained Abe post-show.
 
Abe cuts with masterful craziness. Using the zigzag Apache prints of Pendleton in the opening look that combined a sporty jerkin; cargo shorts; and one third of a kilt, all anchored by her latest sneakers made with Nike. Often, the sneakers in exactly the same colors and patterns as the clothes.

She broke up the Pendleton patterns with chiffon dresses, again finished with elements of wool capes; denim shirting; green nylon torsos and white T-Shirts – reading S/S 2019. She even sewed the Pendleton logo in nylon on to several outfits.
 
Her guys came in the same fabric mixes though cut with a more fierce warrior like silhouette; frequently using some of her signature fabrics – Sherlock Holmes windowpane checks and white Aran Island sweaters – much loved by Irish fans.
 
Abe insisted that she chose Pendleton prints for spring, precisely because people associate them with wintertime. Using Pendleton with suiting materials in novel ways with sportswear and denim.
 
“It’s a privilege to be an independent fashion designer, so things should not be about commercialization. I design the women’s pre-collection and the men’s at the same time, and I don’t want anything watered down!” trilled Abe post-show.
 
This season Sacai showed in a somewhat wacky location, the former offices of leftist Paris daily Libération, itself a former garage converted into an office building.
 
“Just because it’s a jacket doesn’t mean it cannot be something else,” said Abe, in a comment that was as much true about her collection as the building.