SACAI FALL-WINTER 2025: Fashion that Embraces Nature in its Primitive Forms
The show draws inspiration from the famous children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak, a work that, despite being intended for a young audience, addresses complex issues related to growth, emotion and the relationship with nature.
The choice of this book is not accidental: the collection explores the idea of a return to a primordial aesthetic, in which masculinity breaks away from toxic stereotypes to celebrate a man who merges with the environment that surrounds him. This link with the book is realized, for example, in look 11, where an ochre yellow sweater bears the image of the embrace between Max and Ira, the protagonists of the story. This symbolic gesture represents the union between the human being and nature, but also the freedom to express emotions without filters, a theme that runs through the entire show.
Chitose Abe’s stylistic coherence emerges clearly, with a collection that focuses on
deconstructed and layered garments, where the return to a primordial aesthetic mixes with a technical and contemporary vision. The use of fake fur, leather jackets, yeti-style fur shoes – thanks to the collaboration with UGG – fleece and materials evocative of resistance to nature strengthens the link between fashion and survival, while details such as fur sleeves amplify the sensation of clothing that faces the force of the natural environment.
The atmosphere of the show is equally fundamental: the desert landscapes in the background create a setting that amplifies the primordial theme and marries perfectly with the innovation that characterizes the collection. The futuristic vision of the design can be seen in the details present in the various looks: you can see the water bottles tied with carabiners, the micro-bags embellished with Sacai stickers and charms, they contribute to a gorp core aesthetic that integrates perfectly with military backpacks and technical garments, expressing a sense of practicality in a refined aesthetic context. The idea of innovation is visible in the fusion of different styles; it is also clear in the more sartorial choices: the checked suit (of look number 36), for example, is overlapped with technical garments with the same pattern, creating a link between elegance and functionality. Furthermore, the collection plays with volumes and shapes: from the trousers with roomy pockets, which are repeated in different looks, to the wide trousers of look 66, where the dangling hems of the skirts are reflected in draping effects. Very interesting is the use of layering present in most of the collection, especially in the sartorial looks that close the show.
However, there are some moments where the mix of styles seems to lose coherence with the central narrative. For example, the exploration with Carhartt seems a different path than the rest of the collection, and is quite interesting, while some more street-oriented looks, such as those in numbers 16 and 18, seem to be inserted without a clear connection to the theme of the show. Towards the end, from look 46 to 51, the show takes an unexpected direction, with the introduction of silk dresses and jackets with ethnic prints in shades of green, blue and red. Although these looks try to recall “primordiality”, they seem a visual journey themselves of a conceptual strength from the first outfits.
Despite these deviations, the collection maintains a strong visual and conceptual coherence. The setting, the diverse casting and the choice of materials and accessories reinforce the designer’s commitment to a message of inclusivity and reflection on the relationship between man and nature. The ethnic casting, in particular, enriches the narrative, emphasizing the universality of the concept of “primordial man”, making it globally relevant and underlining the value of diversity. The show ends, therefore, as a reflection on personal growth, identity and our relationship with the environment that surrounds us, bringing to the stage a contemporary vision of a primitiveness that is both personal and universal.
