Abe spent the past season contemplating freedom. The Japanese designer, who is usually recognized for her cheerful disposition and signature textile combinations, turned introspective. She questioned whether commercial pressures were constraining her creative vision. The result of this reflection appeared in her Sacai Men’s Fall 2026 and Women’s Pre-Fall 2026 collections, which was presented at Le Carreau du Temple in Paris. Physical holes punctured through the plasterboard walls served as the runway’s backdrop and a philosophical statement.
| 📌 Key Facts |
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| 🏛️ Brand: Sacai 🎨 Designer: Chitose Abe 📍 Show Location: Le Carreau du Temple, Paris 🧵 Core Concept: Creative freedom through structural innovation 📐 Signature Feature: Three-part silhouette construction ⚧️ Design Approach: Gender-fluid tailoring 🤝 Collaborations: Levi’s, A.P.C., J.M. Weston 🎵 Cultural References: Muhammad Ali, Freddie Mercury 🧠 Underlying Question: Can creative independence drive commercial success? |
The venue itself communicated Abe’s mindset. Those deliberate breaches in the walls weren’t accidental damage, but rather calculated declarations. She wanted to express breaking through barriers and moving beyond conventional thinking. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali provided spiritual guidance for this exploration. His image appeared on a black top paired with matching shorts, and his words about thought shaping reality, printed on the reverse, captured Abe’s current philosophy.
This season marked another shift. Abe brought menswear and Pre-Fall womenswear into closer dialogue, creating garments that transcended gender boundaries. The opening sequence showcased this approach with black-and-white formal shirts, loosely knotted ties, and trouser-skirt hybrids made from one piece of fabric instead of multiple layered components. She deconstructed cargo pants and reassembled them as asymmetrical skirts and layered trousers. A new three-piece gray pinstripe suit featured a jacket and her signature trouser-skirt hybrid.
Collaboration remained central to Abe’s methodology. She partnered with Levi’s again, transforming rigid, dark denim into tailored pieces with leather, motorcycle-inspired details on rounded, sculptural jackets. Flared jeans were styled in a way typically reserved for formal trousers. Another collaboration, this time with A.P.C., produced fabric inspired by Jessica Ogden’s patchwork quilts for the French label. These quilt patterns appeared on minidresses, maxi dresses, puffer jackets, and hybrid skirt-trousers with geometric patterns reminiscent of stained glass windows.
Texture played a significant role throughout. Abe constructed a standout jacket from puffer quilting, leather, and shearling, mixing black and olive tones. She arranged crystals into bib formations on lumberjack shirts. The technical execution of these pieces demonstrated Abe’s commitment to craftsmanship despite her rebellious attitude.
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The collection progressed through distinct chapters. Monochrome tailoring gave way to leather and shearling outerwear, followed by fringed tweed, knitwear, checks, and workwear in ochre and khaki. Washed and indigo denim appeared alongside Aran-accented padded outerwear. Ditsy floral prints and workwear with a triangle-motif quilting led to tailoring with aviator influences and denim as evening wear. Three evening looks for women featured skirts cut from triangular quilted sections, referencing the recurring geometric shape.
Those triangles held meaning beyond decoration. They reflected the three-part silhouette structure that Abe developed for this collection. Abe inserted a new horizontal zone between the shoulder-to-waist and knee-to-ankle sections, creating an equatorial region through kilting, skirting, jacket reinforcement, billowing pockets, and other tailored extensions. This wasn’t layering, but rather structural innovation that fundamentally altered how clothing hangs on the body.
The new collaboration with J.M. Weston, the heritage shoemaker from Limoges, completed the luxury positioning. Meanwhile, Freddie Mercury’s voice suddenly filled the space, and his lyrics about breaking free made the audience laugh. The soundtrack mixed stimulating references, including Tears for Fears’s musings on freedom, pleasure, and ruling the world.
Backstage, Abe clarified her intentions. Through her translator, she explained that clothing creation often carries expectations about what will sell and about following established patterns. She wanted liberation from those constraints. Whether this rebellion will prove to be temporary or signal lasting change remains uncertain. What became clear was the audience’s response. Despite their unconventional nature, attendees expressed a genuine desire for these pieces.
The question Abe poses extends beyond her own practice. Can independence and creative freedom become mainstream values that drive commercial success rather than hinder it? If, as Ali suggested, thinking shapes becoming, perhaps fashion’s established hierarchies will face genuine disruption from designers who prioritize innovation over convention.
