Chitose Abe has built Sacai into one of the most distinctive and influential brands in contemporary fashion since founding it in 1999. Born from a desire to create clothes that go beyond categories and expectations, Sacai’s DNA is all about hybridization: taking two familiar garments, splicing them together, and creating something entirely fresh. Abe’s technical precision, often seen in her playful contrasts of materials—think knits against fine wovens—gives her work an edge that both defies trends and redefines them.
Before starting Sacai, Abe cut her teeth under Rei Kawakubo at Comme des Garçons and worked alongside Junya Watanabe, two of Japan’s fashion icons. That training is unmistakable in her deftness with patterns and construction, but Abe’s aesthetic is her own. She’s more about the everyday—creating pieces that are innovative yet wearable, merging function and form in a way that feels utterly effortless. Whether she’s reimagining a trench coat into something almost sculptural or playing with proportions in an unexpected knit, her work has a signature fluidity that’s never contrived.
Sacai made its Paris Fashion Week debut in 2009, quickly winning over buyers with its bold experimentation tempered by meticulous craftsmanship. The brand has since expanded beyond womenswear, with a men’s line launched in 2009 that mirrors the same approach of fusing genres and materials, bringing Abe’s vision to a broader audience. Sacai’s collaborations have also brought the brand mainstream appeal—notably with Nike, Beats by Dre, and even a reinterpretation of Jean Paul Gaultier’s classic designs in 2021, showing that Abe’s creative instincts transcend boundaries.
Abe remains fiercely independent, retaining full ownership of Sacai and holding tight to her belief that creative authenticity will always find its audience. Today, with flagship stores in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Seoul, and her collections available worldwide, Abe continues to redefine what “cool” looks like in fashion. Her designs aren’t just about clothing—they’re about changing the way we think about getting dressed.