Paco Rabanne

Julien Dossena is just the right thing for Paco Rabanne. He does exactly this, what Nicolas Ghesquiere did at Balenciaga. Julien brings this futuristic Parisian house back to its rise, in a more sophisticated and 21st century way… For resort 2015 which was styled by designer’s friend, Marie Amelie Sauve, Dossena introduced a new level of sporty elegance. Strongly coloured tank tops with straps worn with pencil skirts and polished sweatpants styled with interesting tops. And of course Julien’s signature thing: the V cut! It was on the skirts, on the blouses… Maybe the new Paco Rabanne doesn’t remind us the Space Odyssey, but you need to admit- there is something extremely futuristic about it.

Paco will be forver in us. All his alien dresses, metal jumpsuits, eccentric dresses that remind us 60’s sci-fi movies and UFO comics. Although, Paco Rabanne was a revolutionary fashion designer, for some time he was only recognised by his Million perfumes and kitsch advertisemnts… but, thanks-giving, he, in form of Julien Dossena, is back. And for good.
The new designer of Paco Rabanne which debuted in 2013, is Julien Dossena, the same one which designs for Atto Paris. And I must say- he really, really does a great job. Maybe it’s because of studying at Nicolas Ghesquiere studio? Or having this Paco blood in veins? What was most striking is how well Dossena handled the obvious Rabanne clichés and made them modern and wearable for AW14.

Chain mail, Rabanne’s strongest signature, has a tendency to be heavy and ill fitting. Dossena reimagined it as a net of safety pins. Worn over silk underpinnings, the metal tops and dresses had a cool, clingy drape. The house’s iconic tile dresses, meanwhile, can look rather retro, but Dossena ensured that didn’t happen when he re-created them as laser-cut leather harnesses and layered them over crisp cotton button-downs and shirtdresses. Of course, a brand can’t thrive on statement pieces alone. The designer also had sharp, well-made tailoring: classic menswear trousers that hung low from the hips and skinny pants with white plastic zippers and contrast topstitching. Another key item was the super-fitted quilted leather ski jacket. I loved it. Very chic, and very innovative. Having Dossena on the radar.