Rabanne’s recent collaboration with H&M has introduced a new generation to the work of the Space Age designer who died last year at the age of 88.
“People who are 18 or 20, or even teenagers in fact, are discovering the brand and making videos on TikTok explaining who was Paco Rabanne,” marveled Julien Dossena, who has helmed the brand for a decade.
But it’s not just the house’s signature chainmail dresses that benefit from instant recognition. Dossena has established a number of solid codes himself, many of which were present both in the H&M line and his pre-fall collection.
His style can best be characterized as effortless sensuality. A case in point here: a thigh-grazing gold chainmail dress, as easy to slip on as a T-shirt, topped with a silver-lined khaki parka.
Among his bestsellers are jersey pieces in psychedelic prints. An off-the-shoulder maxi dress with a deep side slit was at once forgiving and sexy, while a dark floral version with cape sleeves channeled the bohemian allure of British designer Ossie Clark, another treasure ripe to be rediscovered by fashion neophytes.
Knitwear is a strong category for the label, with options ranging from a fringed high-collared coat with oversized metallic buttons to a ribbed gold lurex evening dress that sat open on the hip.
Midriff-baring tops were paired with checked wool pants or straight black wrap skirts trimmed with metallic studs. About those cargo shorts with slit seams? Dossena said he got the idea by watching kids on Place de la République, a gathering point for Paris skaters.
In fact, a lot of his inspiration comes from observing how his female friends dress. Sure, he can whip up a showstopper for the likes of Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, but Rabanne is no longer the domain of the “unwearable” plastic and metal dresses launched by its founder in 1966.
“We try to give wardrobe staples an interesting spin, but the idea is for women to make it their own,” Dossena said. With a growing sideline in jewelry and bags, this heritage brand is just getting started.
