Rabanne Is Embracing the 'Material Girls' at Paris Fashion Week
Graphic by Alexander Hernandez Gonzalez
Wednesday evening's Rabanne show during Paris Fashion Week revealed that it is not just okay to be radical for certain occasions, you can be radically yourself every day.
French creative director Julien Dossena has led the Rabanne brand artistically since 2013 and has successfully transformed house staples into modern, recognizable pieces that are garnering a new generation of fans.
The collection, titled ‘Material Girls,’ featured the use of unusual materials such as metals, gold and plastics to create wearable pieces of art throughout the collection, a nod to founder Paco Rabanne who solidified the brand image and look with this method.
From Audrey Hepburn to Jane Fonda, Rabanne’s 60s chainmail dresses set the standard for the brand; futuristic fashion with a mod twist. But, Dossena is changing the direction of the brand by taking the unconventional and mixing it with the conventional to create a middle ground.
According to Rabanne, “Radicality is not always revolutionary, and it is not always instantly obvious. But radicality is what will always drive Rabanne across material, craft and style.”
American fashion model Gigi Hadid opened the show in a horizontally striped purple and white polo, a vertically-striped blue, white and purple dress shirt, a vertically white, blue and gray striped windbreaker, blue shorts and lavender pumps protected by clear vinyl plastic.
As models walked down the catwalk to Michael Mayer and Miss Kittin’s “Voyage Intérieur,” we saw a slew of business attire, metallics and plastics covering handbags and shoes.
Detailing is crucial to the brand and Look 22 is the perfect way to show it. The model wears a gold and silver beaded dress, a matching handbag covered in plastic and baggy gold boots that call back to the 60s with a modern flare.
Prints, solid colors and layers begin to take the stage through dresses, casual outfits and even sweaters that have an illusion touch to them.
Notably, Look 22 features a model wearing a gold chainmail dress with gold leaf, gold pumps with plastic protecting the shoe and the ‘world’s most expensive handbag,’ an 18-karat 1969 Nano bag that is priced around $280,000.
Once the finale commences, you see the vision for this collection; radicality is always going to be Rabanne, even though it is not always revolutionary.
After the models finish their walk, Dossena walks out in a maroon Lacoste polo, black belt, black trousers and chunky brown boots as he thanks attendees of the show.
Guests included American rapper Cardi B, American singer Camila Cabello, English actor Ed Westwick, British actress Amy Jackson and French fashion designer Nicolas Ghesquière.
Overall, this 33-look collection was one to remember for the better. Dossena’s curiosity leads him to experiment with the house code and make it a new concept that many designers are missing; taking from the archive and reinventing the wheel by presenting never-before-seen silhouettes and motifs. Rabanne takes the gold and silver for the third day of PFW.