Sacai SS25: Chitose Abe revives the spirit of James Dean

The portrait of the American icon is drawn through the classics of the 1950s, which are put into Sacai’s creative focus this season.

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The sun of the last day of fashion week illuminated the house in which Chitose Abe welcomed us this season. Literally a house, made of wood, taken from the iconic photo of James Dean in front of his childhood home. Because that’s what it was all about, portraying the iconic actor through the pieces, the ambiance and the message of the show. Everything is crisp, clear, classic, often often monochromatic in a classic palette of black, white, beige and denim blue that is suddenly broken up with the red of a jacket. Wait, because it’s also James Dean’s iconic red Harrington jacket from the coming-of-age romantic drama “Rebel Without a Cause,” reinvented in an oversized fit.

All models adopt the typical rebellious student look of James Dean. Varsity-style jackets with vintage car or floral prints typical of the 50s are interspersed with the brand’s classic silhouettes. Models walk around with stacks of books tied by a sturdy strap, with horn-rimmed glasses and brushed fuse. That spirit of youth and wanting to explore from Dean with his mantra “I believe that the main reason for existence, to live in this world, is discovery”, reinforces Sacai’s proposal in its constant search for innovative design techniques.

Another of the season’s highlights, and something to appreciate closely, is the array of collaborations he has undertaken: Levi’s, WTAPS, J.M Weston, and Nike. The adoration of denim is channeled through the collaboration with Levi’s®, which reimagines hybrids of Type I, II, and III jackets, sculpted, tailored, and paired with jeans to form one piece. Military styling is introduced by WTAPS, in the interest of finding functional designs that work for life in the city, maybe Paris, maybe Tokyo, maybe London… Traditional J.M. Weston loafers are transformed into something completely new, while together with Nike, sacai presents the new Zegamadome sneaker.

Backstage, Chitose Abe confessed to us that she is a big fan of James Dean, but more than just the way she dresses, this collection was more about capturing the spirit of the iconic actor, and crafting a proposal that, while requiring the same technical demands, felt freer.

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