This techno-hippy collection should help broaden perceptions of the Paco Rabanne brand, forever associated with 12 unwearable dresses made of plastic and metal rings. Designer Julien Dossena eased up slightly on his athletic-tinged futurism, embracing random embroideries, shaggy fringe, tie-dye fabrics and other crafty touches.
Also in the mix were lingerie styles: baby dolls, slipdresses and full-body girdles and the usual cyber and motocross elements in black leather. This collection will not diminish Dossena’s reputation for having a wealth of ideas, and for a peerless execution of them.
What didn’t change, unfortunately, was the overcharged nature of the clothes, always with dangly bits here and technical doodads there. What was also plain was the influence of Balenciaga during the reign of Nicolas Ghesquière, Dossena’s old boss, who sat in the front row and who still casts a long shadow on designers of the Millennial generation.
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This spring collection is to make its debut in Paco Rabanne’s first freestanding store, now under construction on the Rue Cambon in Paris and slated to open in January.