Paco Rabanne triumphs at Paris Fashion Week with a journey through the history and future of fashion
Paco Rabanne triumphs at Paris Fashion Week with a journey through the history and future of fashion
MADRID, September 30 (CHANCE) -
Paco Rabanne has done it again. He presented his Spring-Summer 2024 collection at Paris Fashion Week and surprised all his spectators with an impressive catwalk with which he managed to create a journey through the history and future of fashion.
How is it possible that the distant past also conjures the future? At one extreme, the tangible relics of distant civilizations; in the other, the unimaginable state of the world in a few centuries.
Julien Dossena's latest collection is situated in the realm of mirage, where enduring myths and artifacts collide with dreamed stories, where reality blurs with the illusory. This archaeological expression of rabanne is anchored in the present due to its materiality and feeling: it is a reflection on the craftsmanship of the first garments and on the evolution of the current one. It is also an exploration of the relationship between touch and sensuality.
After all, from one look to the next, the body is provocatively adorned and revealed. A powerful female representation takes shape: sculptural, fearless, that crosses time.
Traditional garments and cover-ups, such as sarouel pants, folded scarf tops, draped skirts and shorts are reinterpreted and embellished with metallic geometric embroidery, metallic fringes and laces. Raw, rustic fabrics interact with elaborate beading, while loose golden threads suggest a state of beautiful decadence.
However, there is a parallel modern story: slim-tailored jackets boast seductive front gathers, low-cut waists are worked from different angles, and s/louchy pants signal a grunge attitude. The draping, meanwhile, is inspired by depictions of ancient marble statues, from the delicate folds of the fabric to the silkscreen prints that realistically capture light and shadow.
Wool and hemp knit and woven looks pay homage to Sheila Hicks, with contoured silhouettes giving way to dense volumes of layered fiber. Furthermore, her skin is not only exposed but engaged with material experience: the sway of liquid metal mesh against the leg, the chill of an assemblage of burnished wood discs and peacock feathers. Beyond rabanne's signature black, gold and silver, gradient desert tones, luminous copper and cool tones of blue and lilac further enhance the skin.
Sculptural materials add a mystical touch, whether they are forehead pendants, belts made of shiny spheres or sandals enhanced with rock crystals. The openwork boots with a curved sole show off a design of thin straps that climb up the leg, like a twist on the gladiator style...
Finally, Dossena revisits "nues", the iconic series by photographer Jean Clemmer in collaboration with Paco Rabanne starring almost naked women outside the chains that surrounded them, which cascaded and slid down their bodies. Erotic and poetic at the same time, these images from 1962 appear on tank tops, including one with a dress made of Swarovski crystals and metal mesh. The effect is like a reverse mimesis that underlines the mystery and desire always present in rabanne.
