One Piece Wonder
The easy-to-wear deconstructed denim jacket makes maximum impact.
When it comes to the ingenious repurposing of fabrics, Japanese fashion designer Chitose Abe is in a league of her own. Abe is the brains behind Sacai, and has successfully made a name for herself with her brilliant, deconstructed clothing – think classic pieces primarily inspired by menswear, with a touch of quirkiness. For the Resort season, one of the key pieces was a classic denim jacket intertwined with pinstriped menswear fabric.
Abe has always thrived on “taking something familiar and making it into something unfamiliar”, which is why she starts her design process by deconstructing a garment. At a glance, the pinstriped portion, which resembles the underlining of the jacket, looks like it’s crossed over to the front, particularly with the detail of the “overturned” pinstriped pockets. Abe shares that the pinstripe pattern is reminiscent of her school uniform, and she had always wanted to reimagine elements of her uniform.
In addition to Abe’s innovative designs, other noteworthy deconstructed denim designs from the Resort season include Phillip Lim’s oversized jean jacket, which is cinched from the back to create a voluminous blouson shape, as well as SEA’s denim jacket, featuring long voluminous patchwork sleeves made from recycled denim.
For more feminine interpretations, Cecilie Bahnsen introduced a white denim peplum-style jacket, while AZ Factory and Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini incorporated pretty ruffled details into their denim pieces, adding a touch of elegance.