Coming off a mega moment dressing Chappell Roan in medieval-looking chainmail for the MTV VMA Awards earlier this month, Rabanne will present three extraordinary accessories worthy of the Hollywood spotlight at its spring 2025 runway show in Paris on Wednesday.
The world’s “most expensive bag” is a one-of-a-kind 1969 Nano bag in 18-karat gold that pays homage to the world’s “most expensive dress,” in gold and diamonds, that was crafted by Paco Rabanne for French fashion icon Françoise Hardy in 1968.
After debuting his brand in 1966 with a collection titled “12 Unwearable Dresses in Contemporary Materials,” Paco Rabanne became famous for his revolutionary use of unconventional materials in fashion, including metal, paper, plastics — and gold.
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Creative director Julien Dossena has carried on that legacy with his collections for the house, now owned by Puig, and this special project. It harks back to a golden publicity moment for the brand, when Hardy wore the dress made of 1,000 gold tiles and 300 carats of diamonds to promote a jewelry trade fair in Paris. She arrived in an armored truck with a security escort “like a precious treasure,” Dossena said, and the photos taken on the street with gaping crowds behind her went round the world.
The Handcrafted 1969 Golden Bag, which will be on the runway Wednesday, required 100 hours of work by Maison Rabanne and French artisan jeweler Arthus Bertrand, and will be priced at 250,000 euros.
The house will also debut two other bags crafted with heritage artisanal workshops. The Handcrafted 1969 Glass Bag is made of Murano glass pastilles by the Venini glassmaking house founded in Venice in 1921, and known for its brushstroke-like marbling effects in color.
The Handcrafted 1969 Ceramic Bag is made of ceramic discs by Astier de Villatte. The Parisian ceramics workshop, which sells goods around the world, preserves 18th-century manufacturing traditions and the art of “estampage” (stamping). Shaping clay by pressing it into plaster molds, the technique produces delicate textures and irregular shapes with unique finishes.
“They were really exceptional pieces to work with,” Dossena said. The bags will be available to order at the Paris Rabanne boutique following the show.
