Chitose Abe - SACAI A to Z - 2015

SACAI A to Z / Chitose Abe / Kazunari Hattori
Private collection of Gildas Loaëc, (Daft Punk, Maison Kitsuné).

SACAI A to Z
Author / Creator: Chitose Abe (founder of the SACAI brand)
Art Direction and Design of the book: Kazunari Hattori
Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications (New York)
Publication date: 2015
Hardcover, white woven-textured spine printed in black, approximately 236 pages.
Condition: Light edge wear on the cover, very good condition overall.
Photography: Shoji Uchida (cover), Takashi Homma, Mikiya Takimoto, and other renowned photographers
Contributors (Texts): Foreword by Sarah Mower; texts by Shogo Hagiwara, Jun Ishida, Yumiko Sakuma, and Reina Shimizu.

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An alphabetical exploration of SACAI’s hybrid universe

SACAI A to Z is the first complete, personal monograph devoted to the work of Chitose Abe, the creative force behind the Japanese fashion house SACAI. Published by Rizzoli in 2015, this book is not a traditional retrospective, but a visual journey structured from A to Z through the themes, influences, and archives that define the brand’s unique DNA.

Since its founding in 1999, SACAI has established itself as one of contemporary fashion’s most innovative houses. Chitose Abe, trained at Comme des Garçons under Rei Kawakubo and Junya Watanabe, revolutionized the modern silhouette with her concept of hybridity: the art of merging two contrasting garments (such as a wool sweater and a silk shirt) to create a wholly new, multidimensional piece.

With over 200 photographs by leading names in the Japanese and international scene, illustrating the production process and iconic pieces from the archives. Under the artistic direction of Kazunari Hattori, the book reflects SACAI’s fragmented, complex aesthetic, blending textile collages with bold typographic compositions. Essays and interviews by influential fashion journalists, including Sarah Mower (Vogue), analyze how Abe transformed a small knitwear line into a globally adored brand.

A true collectible, SACAI A to Z is an essential work for understanding how SACAI continues to push the boundaries of fashion design while remaining deeply rooted in a functional, portable vision of everyday luxury. Its vibrant cover, photographed by Shoji Uchida, perfectly captures the game of textures and colors characteristic of the house.

Provenance: Gildas Loaëc Library, (Daft Punk, Maison Kitsuné).

Chitose Abe, the Art of Détournement

Chitose Abe is the Artistic Director of Sacai, a brand she founded in 1999. The label is renowned for its extraordinary technical mastery, particularly for the assembly of two garments to create unique pieces, where the sum of the parts is greater than the sum of the colors. Among its admirers are figures such as Karl Lagerfeld, Anna Wintour, and Suzy Menkes.

Chitose Abe owns 100% of her company, giving her complete creative freedom and allowing her to choose the business strategies she deems appropriate. “My collections are guided only by my creative instinct,” she told BoF. “I may be idealistic, but I’m convinced that if we offer high-quality products at a fair price, a business is destined for success.”

Before founding Sacai, Chitose Abe worked at Comme des Garçons as a patternmaker under Rei Kawakubo, then in Junya Watanabe’s creative team. Although trained within one of Japan’s most prestigious fashion houses, Abe’s aesthetic elevates and simplifies her homeland’s to create refined classics. “Japanese identity can be important for some European retailers, but not for me. The fact that I am the only Japanese brand present at many of my retailers is telling.”

The Japanese brand debuted at Paris Fashion Week in 2009. By its second season internationally, Sacai counted more than 15 clients, including Biffi in Milan, Colette in Paris, and Joyce in Hong Kong. Today, the brand is distributed in over 90 retailers worldwide. Abe has also diversified into other fashion segments with her more minimal Sacai Luck and Sacai Men lines. In 2019, Sacai collaborated with Nike and Beats by Dre.