In Paris, Sacai dissects human existence, while Agnès b. unpacks her bags in Marseille

At Sacai, Chitose Abe continued to explore the fusion of formal and functional design through the lens of introspection, while Agnès b. embraced an airy, summery lightness.

Sacai and introspective hybridisation

Violins and electronic beats reverberate beneath the Gothic arches of the Collège des Bernardins. At a time when secondary schools across France are in turmoil, this venerable Cistercian college became, on Monday morning, the stage for the stylistic soul-searching of Japanese label Sacai.

True to her experiments in hybridising references and materials, Chitose Abe set out to convey human complexity and introspection in the aisles of the 13th-century building in Paris’s Latin Quarter.

Under the watchful eye of Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director, Pharrell Williams – dressed in a shirt printed with one of the brand’s seasonal motifs – Abe continued to work within a distinctly formal register for womenswear. Having applied her deconstructive approach to tailoring last season – reworking the structure of suit jackets and layering skirts over sharply cut trousers – the Japanese designer pushed her experiments further here. The name of her collection, “A Moment of Becoming”, appeared on tops sliced into slender, one-centimetre-wide strips.

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The theme reappeared in this Spring/Summer 2027 collection on skirts and dresses built from the belt of a leather jacket, fitted with metal buckles and a press stud, from which a cascade of fringed leather strips tumbles, creating kinetic movement with every step.

Abe also played extensively with transparency, as in a deconstructed white denim jacket with puffed sleeves, veiled in sheer organza. From the shoulders, necklaces of crystals and pearls streamed down, while the coordinating skirt is sculpted into a balloon shape. A tubular black voile dress, finished with a fringe of faux fur, revealed a hint of a short dress printed with golden fur. Another striking example of the interplay between utility and formality was a look composed of a long sheer jacket and sheer cargo trousers, revealing a striped shirt and mini-shorts beneath.

“Fluid, sheer textiles respond to the body’s movements, to the barely perceptible shifts in emotion and to the underlying determination. With every movement, the true self transcends the physical boundaries of the garment,” the Japanese designer explained in her show notes.

“By reimagining the structural lining as the primary silhouette, the collection creates an unexpected point of convergence where conviction and vulnerability meet, capturing the unfiltered reality of human existence and expressing the most exquisite and unwavering form of authentic presence.”

In this collection, where almost every model wore a black choker, leather, satin nylon and poplin took centre stage. It also offered a host of standout pieces and playful touches, from cascades of gold jewellery adorning dresses and bell-shaped jackets with matching all-over prints to white rhinestones on dresses and capes whose prints depicted myriads of diamonds.

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Hybrid cape-jackets with exaggerated volumes, straight skirts ending in pleats that form an asymmetrical flounce, and a black knit look whose sleeves morphed into oversized side bows all showcased the brand’s creative flair.

Without tipping into excess, Sacai – which earlier this year unveiled a collaboration with leather goods house Smythson – finished the silhouettes with a range of leather bags in various formats. With around fifty points of sale, mainly in department stores worldwide, the independent brand is also arming itself with fresh assets to win over new clients. Williams, for his part, endorsed the spirit of the collection, as the Japanese designer flung herself into his arms when she came out to take her bow.

Agnès b.: On the holiday trail

Agnès b. was dreaming of holidays and the seaside at La Fab, in then city’s 13th arrondissement. It was at the height of the golden hour that the designer unveiled her Spring/Summer 2027 womenswear collection at the foundation bearing her name. The opening sequence celebrated a unisex vocabulary with tailoring and workwear accents, featuring a finely striped banker’s suit paired with a cap in matching tones, while denim and generous Bermuda shorts conversed with zipped smock-style jackets trimmed with white piping.

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This season, the house’s rock DNA came through in black leather micro-shorts topped with an overcoat nonchalantly draped over the shoulders and a top with an urban photographic print, as well as in tapered trousers in patinated leather paired with straight-cut jackets. The collection’s narrative then set sail on a more sunlit, pastoral course. Photographs of cloudy skies and coastal landscapes taken by the designer were printed on fluid trousers, short tank dresses and a midi skirt worn with a “Brittany blue” cardigan (a greyish blue – “Normandy blue” would do just as well).

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This summer escape took on the carefree mood of a relaxed holiday, with swimsuits cinched by sarongs, multicoloured Madras-style patchwork shirt-and-shorts sets with matching bucket hats, bright flashes of fuchsia and the familiar rabbit motif reinterpreted in knitwear. As night falls, the silhouette became more fluid and enigmatic. Liquid black satin dominated slip dresses and supple jumpsuits, accessorised with long opera-style mittens, reworking cabaret codes with the house’s hallmark ease.

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This nocturnal movement was enriched with metallic gleams courtesy of pleated gold or silver lamé sheath dresses with stand-up collars, catching the light without ever straying into ostentation. The show closed with the bridal ritual so dear to the house: a bride in a white column dress with a slit and a short retro veil, and a groom in an ice-blue silk double-breasted suit – the perfect synthesis of timeless, free-spirited and quintessentially Parisian elegance.