Chitose Abe‘s Sacai is the ultimate in hybrid dressing. Never satisfied to work one theme, she’s more interested in how things work together and how opposites attract. To wit, spring tapped into that dichotomy with sporty-meets-American Indian and girly versus tailored or sailor spliced with pyjama dressing.

Classics look way cooler after being put through the Sacai filter. For instance, sailor stripes take on louche, oversized proportions and unconventional pyjama trouser silhouettes. Sacai, as usual, took something literal and spun it.

Sacai worked her signature shape—loose, boxy top with a layered skirt—across disparate materials and textures. Leopard, abstracted camo, men’s wear stripes all mixed together in her sartorial melting pot. There is always a music element, usually via t-shirts emblazoned with rock band names. But for spring, she went for something more subtle, instead printing t-shirts with Daniel Johnston’s “Hi, How Are You?” Martian frog. Originally, Kurt Cobain wore the same during his rise-to-fame in the early grunge era 25 years ago.

Where some of Sacai’s looks can come off as too haphazard for the woman who needs less frays and frills, the designer is an accomplished tailor. A series of plaid tops and minis looked polished without compromising any of the her splice girl vision.

The greatest compliment Sacai could receive—other than rumors that she was in contention for the top position at the power brands in paris—is how often her hybrids are copied. Playing two concepts against each other isn’t new territory, but Sacai continues to make it interesting by piecing clothes together, like a houndstooth bowtie spliced into a tailored overcoat with anorak toggles. Sacai’s layers have a way of making the avant-garde fun.

From: Harper’s BAZAAR US