First Look: sacai’s Tailored Carhartt Workwear
sacai doesn’t stick to the categories assigned to genres of clothing. Carhartt prefers the classics. Together, sacai and Carhartt may seem an odd pair. To be fair, though, we're talking sacai x Carhatt WIP, the more fashion-savvy side of the workwear giant.
Remember that sacai is a brand whose “classics” collection features denim shirts Frankensteined together with knit cardigans and zip-up hoodies melded into bomber jackets.
And in sacai's Spring/Summer 2026 collection, debuted June 26 in Paris, workwear jackets are skillfully blended blazers. These aren’t any old chore coats though — they’re straight from the rough-and-ready world of Carhartt WIP.
Following a precedent set over the past few years, sacai SS26 deconstructs and rearranges Carhartt WIP’s signature workwear-imbued outerwear.
And things have taken a turn for the formal.
The two labels' spruced-up Michigan chore blazer retains its workwear patch pockets. However, the pocket flaps are ripped straight from a tailored coat, as is the slanted chest pocket. The duck canvas also reads as quintessential Carhartt but the jacket’s gold buttons and lapels nod to classic tailoring.
sacai has, once again, crossbred disparate menswear cues into a cohesive whole.
The newest sacai x Carhartt WIP collection includes the aforementioned rugged blazer, matching double-knee pants, and a similarly formal double-layered long coat. The rest of the SS26 collection? Well, that’s a similar story of unexpected mashups.
Bombers, a staple sacai pieces, are reimagined with a sculptural shape or transformed into hybrid striped coaches jackets. Other pieces of technical outerwear are purposefully crinkled and warped, while brown slacks are combined with dark-wash denim.
There are some goods that retain a more classic build, like a boxy dark brown leather jacket. However, sacai SS26 is mostly a study in how two conventional items can successfully become one, a sacai signature for almost 30 years.
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