Even with a bellowing soundtrack, guests could still hear the unmistakable rustle of Paco Rabanne’s designs shimmying down the runway at the house’s latest Fall/Winter 2023 show. The first collection to be shown since the great designer passed away last month at the age of 88, creative director Julien Dossena — who has helmed the label since 2013 — paid respect to the founder with a glittering array of pieces the metal maestro would surely approve of.
From the moment the first model stepped out, clad in mohair with a leather link tote and sneakers, Dossena teased a more modest vision for the season ahead. Of course, three looks in and his signature sparkle began to reveal itself in the form of a mint-hued shearling leather trench coat. From there, we’re plunged back into the fantasy of Rabanne’s effortless dispelling of convention with shapes and fabrics that never cease to surprise and flatter.
There was no shortage of the house’s trademark retro-futuristic codes between the sequins, tinsel, chainmail and crystal droplets. Even soft fabrics were manipulated with slits and metal details to impart Rabanne’s famed linked effect. Demure floral prints were patched up with black lace insets to give them an edge, while gold hearts and planetary motifs kept the romance of it all alive.
In an unexpected turn, some dresses within the collection were printed with surrealist artworks by Salvador Dalí, who once noted, “There are only two geniuses in Spain: me and Paco Rabanne.” With participation from the Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí, Dossena featured “Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening’, ‘Meditative Rose,” “The Shades of Night Descending” and “Sun-Table” on a slew of floor-length cut-out gowns.
Accessories were kept to a minimum but made plenty of impact. Some key pieces included the brand’s beloved armor-like chain bags in various iterations, sleek silver chokers, and plenty of costume-like jewels such as Atom-shaped earrings and large golden bells that’ll surely become covetable “It” pieces when they eventually hit shelves.
In a touching detail, Dossena left on each seat at the show a signed note thanking Monsieur Rabanne for his “utopic creative approach” and “radical expression.” In a postscript, Dossena revealed that he ended the show with a finale of five original Paco Rabanne dresses. Naturally, the front was packed with loyal fans and designers paying their respects. Some guests included Jean Paul Gaultier, Nicolas Ghesquière, Halsey, Jourdan Dunn, Lisa Rinna and more.
In the leadup to the show, the house shared a series of throwback footage from 1967 of Rabanne explaining the intention behind his unconventional designs. “Fashion, well, clothing, reflects the art of living in an era,” he says, accompanied by a chainmail-dressed model and artist Salvador Dalí. His creativity knew no bounds, and since his inaugural show in 1966, entitled “12 Unwearable Dresses,” the designer has always been able to capture the mood of the moment, even if people can’t quite yet see it for what it is.
See our favorite looks from the Paco Rabanne Fall/Winter 2023 collection below.
