Chitose Abe (née Sakai; born 1965) is a Japanese fashion designer who founded luxury fashion brand sacai in 1999, after taking a step back from her fashion career to become a mother. She is known for her hybridization-focused style of fashion design. She has garnered many influential awards, including the Hypebeast Designer of the Year award in 2025 and two Mainichi Fashion Awards, one in 2007 and one in 2015.
Chitose Abe | |
|---|---|
| Born | Chitose Sakai 1965 (age 60–61) Gifu Prefecture, Japan |
| Occupations |
|
| Organization(s) | Founder and Creative Director of sacai |
| Awards | Hypebeast Designer of the Year (2025) Mainichi Fashion Award (2007, 2015) |
Biography
editShe was born in Gifu to a mother who was a seamstress, and quickly became interested in fashion, designing clothes for her dolls.[1] She was known as a trendsetter in school, which she attended in Nagoya, a several-hour daily commute. She attended college in Nagoya before going on to work at World Co. After a year, however, she decided to depart for the more avant-garde Comme des Garçons, where she worked as a pattern-maker, and worked as a pattern-maker for Junya Watanabe when he started his own label.[2]
She left work in 1997 when she became pregnant, but just two years later, decided to launch sacai, starting with just five hand-knitted pieces she made from a 15-euro pack of yarn at a hobby store.[3] The brand rapidly gained attention, and before 2009, both Barneys New York and Colette had bought clothes from her to sell, so in 2009, she made her debut in Paris, and two years later, her debut runway.[4]
Her clothing is known for combining several contrasting statements,[5] but her signature designing style is one she created called "hybridization", where two or more garments[6] are fused.[7][8][9] She is also known for making a point of personally wearing every article of clothing she designs herself.[3]
She was invited as the first guest designer to reinterpret outfits from the archives of Gaultier.[10][11]
She has collaborated with tattoo artist Dr. Woo, Nike, Birkenstock, The New York Times, Vans, Ugg,[4] Levi,[12] and Edison Chen.[13]
Her outfits have been worn by Queen Rania of Jordan,[14] Michelle Obama,[15] Pharrell Williams,[16] Rihanna, Lupita Nyong'o,[1] and Sofia Coppola,[17] and Karl Lagerfeld called her "one of the most interesting designers working today".[18]
She won the Mainichi Fashion Award in both 2007 and 2015.[19] She has been a member of the Business of Fashion 500 since 2013.[20] She was named the Hypebeast Designer of the Year in 2025.[21]
References
edit- 1 2 "The Evolution Of Sacai - MOJEH Magazine". www.mojeh.com. October 5, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "sacai's Chitose Abe Is Leading Japan's Next Generation of Designers". High Snobiety. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
- 1 2 Watanabe, Mitsuko (November 20, 2025). "Chitose Abe On 25 Years Of Sacai". 10 Magazine. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- 1 2 "FEATURE: 20 YEARS OF SACAI W/ CHITOSE ABE – FM BELOWGROUND". Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "At Sacai, Chitose Abe Doesn't Chase the Hype—It Finds Her Anyway". W Magazine. October 24, 2025. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ US, FashionNetwork com (June 23, 2018). "Sacai's heroic hybridization with Pendleton". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Adamson, Thomas (March 10, 2025). "At Sacai, a masterclass in wrapping and reinvention on the Paris runway". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "CHITOSE'S CHOICE". Exhibition Magazine. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Chitose Abe creates fashion that deconstructs the familiar". The Denver Post. April 29, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Diderich, Joelle (July 7, 2021). "Gaultier Paris Sacai Couture Fall 2021". WWD. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ rédaction, La (September 23, 2021). "Jean Paul Gaultier and Chitose Abe talk about their exceptional collaboration". Numéro. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Rubin, Alena (May 29, 2025). "Denim, Disrupted: Chase Sui Wonders and Chitose Abe Celebrate Levi's x Sacai". Vogue. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Apart and Alike: Edison Chen and Chitose Abe's Friendship of Opposites". JUICESTORE. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Queen Rania Stuns in Japanese Trench Dress During Intense Diplomatic Week". HOLA! USA. February 23, 2026. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Writer, Staff. "Chitose Abe of Sacai: Fashion that deconstructs the familiar, intrigues the eye". Columbus Monthly. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ Bobb, Brooke (December 19, 2018). "Pharrell Williams and Helen Lasichanh Are Couple Goals in Matching Sacai Puffers and Uggs". Vogue. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Sacai's Chitose Abe Has Won the Respect of the Fashion World". ELLE. February 14, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Is King Karl Right About This Designer? Is King Karl Right About This Designer?". Sleek Magazine. June 6, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ HEADLINE, FASHION. "Chitose Abe of sacai wins Mainichi Fashion Award for the second time, Newcomer Award goes to Christian Dada | FASHION". FASHION HEADLINE. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Chitose Abe | BoF 500 | The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry". The Business of Fashion. January 26, 2026. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "How Chitose Abe Became the Designer of 2025". Hypebeast. December 18, 2025. Retrieved May 28, 2026.