This season gave us another iteration of the same. Departing from the idea of what she called the “sophistication of rebellion,” Sakai collapsed the principles of graceful balance in beauty in an attempt to uncover an entirely new kind of sophisticated aesthetic. Her approach was most striking with the pants in primary colors and a deluxe, crepe-like material. Opening up the central creases and making them closable with buttons running all the way down each leg, we glimpsed an alluring pair of lacy lingerie in a matching color underneath. The pants were paired with a conventional men’s shirt. This too was left unbuttoned, revealing a bra festooned with silver sequins. The designer completed the look with a pair of lace gloves.
From the distressed luxury textiles to the delicate Chantilly lace and elegant fabrics adorned with sequins turned into a trench coat like the ones formerly worn by military officers, all over the collection we encountered the intersection of opposing elements: still and moving, soft and hard, sacred and profane, instinct and reason, feminine and masculine. They comprised Sakai’s inquiry into the true meaning of sophistication through an assemblage of disharmony.
Instead of a runway, Sakai chose to showcase her collection this season in an exhibition-style presentation that allowed viewers to handle and appreciate each item, one by one. Indeed, the sense of touch is essential to enjoy the sheer thrill of Sakai’s densely layered designs and details so evocative of haute couture. And yet, looking at this perfect collection where the designer’s unique aesthetic has reached every seam and stitch, one can’t help but want her to play even more with the visuals, to put a condensed version of that worldview on full display on a runway. For this is how rich her collection was, spurring a series of such what ifs in the mind of the viewer.