Sacai, the renowned Japanese high-end brand, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with its first temporary space in Paris. This marks the beginning of its international pop-up tour, showcasing its unique and contemporary approach to luxury. Founded by Chitose Abe in 1999, who gained experience working with esteemed designers Junya Watanabe and Rei Kawakubo, founder of Comme des Garçons and Dover Street Market, Sacai offers a fusion of urban, deconstructed, and sophisticated style that is known for its originality and wearability.
Abe’s instinctive approach sets Sacai apart from the typical fashion industry mindset of chasing what’s trendy and desirable. Instead, the brand embraces a mix of genres, layers of cuts and materials, and draws inspiration from current societal movements. This was evident in its 2018 collection, which incorporated quotes from “The Truth is Hard” campaign by The New York Times, as a response to Donald Trump’s attacks on the media.
Sacai’s temporary space in Paris is located in the Le Molière mansion near Palais Royal and spans 200m2. To complement the itinerant nature of the “Hello Sacai” concept, created by former Colette co-owner Sarah Andelman, the interior design was inspired by the theme of moving. The Japanese collective Gelchop worked on the design, incorporating skillfully stacked boxes, suitcases, and “fragile” caution tapes. The pop-up store showcases the Spring/Summer 2019 collection for both men and women, as well as exclusive and pre-released pieces from collaborations with renowned brands like APC, Petit Bateau, Nike, and Astier de Villatte. The space will continuously introduce new partner creations and features a coffee bar by the Australian-Parisian duo Honor starting February 25th. It’s worth noting that Sacai has also launched its global online boutique for international delivery alongside this pop-up store.
The “Bonjour Sacai” pop-up store is located at 40 Rue de Richelieu, 75001 Paris. It is open from Monday to Saturday, 11am to 7pm, until March 9th, 2019.
Useful links:
1. Sacai Official Website
2. Sacai Instagram Page
