Chitose Abe has proven she’s not hemmed in by her signature hybrid silhouettes. If anything it seems her commitment to crossbreeding multiple garments into one has forced her to be more experimental, that constant quest to keep it fresh. It’s an admirable quality in any designer, even if some of the experiments don’t result in success.
For fall, Abe pushed a harder line than in past collections, particularly with the outerwear, which was expertly constructed, as always, but bulky. She blended plain, utility-driven masculine tailoring with couture shapes, yielding volume and rigidity. Oversize tailored coats in hefty wool had stiff funnel necks and exaggerated sleeves trimmed in long, shaggy fur. Some were detailed with quilted inserts or aggressive moto-leather trim that progressed into more elaborate colorblocking on ivory and navy leather and fur coats. The finale was a series of parkas trimmed in linear patterns of red, blue and brown fur.
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The styles were impressive yet imposing, apparently built to withstand the most extreme weather. The grand proportions and heavy fabrications might have been good for looking chic on the tundra, but you had to wonder if the models had any breathing room under there.
Softer and more manageable were the electric Bajas and spliced sweater looks in variations on Nordic knits as well as crafty compilations of cable knits and military thermals. Done in turtleneck dresses and coats with flared skirts, the shapes were worn with relative ease.