For SS24, Rabanne (Paco Rabanne’s rebrand) hosted a show inspired by the past in more ways than one. Not only did the collection feature chain metal, lace-up sandals, and sparkling hoods evocative of something a sword-wielding knight or Roman emperor would wear, but it also spun us back into the swinging ‘60s, taking inspiration from its own founder. Here’s how.
Some background on Paco Rabanne and its former aesthetic is needed to truly appreciate the change that the brand’s new era brings. Back in the ‘60s, fashion designer Paco Rabanne first rose to fame due to his avant-garde, space-age designs, which aligned with an aesthetic few people had seen before. His collections glittered in white, gold, and silver, featuring dresses made of linked disks of reflective metal and beaded hoods laid sparkling over models’ hair.
His collections were a vision of the future, which is why SS24 was such a full-circle moment. Rabanne’s latest collection is a reflection of the past in a glinting chain mail dress. When comparing Rabanne’s SS24 designs with the 1960s collections that put Paco Rabanne on the map, there’s practically no difference. The chain mail in today’s show may be a finer, more delicate iteration of the bold circle-linked dresses of the ‘60s, but its inspiration is clear.
Seen in rippling skirts and tops, face-framing hoods (which we’ve also seen before from Rabanne), and glinting bags that we’re going to be dreaming of, chain mail was undoubtedly a main character in SS24. Another more literal blast from the past were Roman-style sandals with wrap-around laces that wound up model’s calves.
The use of old-age aesthetics like these Roman-style sandals mixed with the inspiration from Paco Rabanne’s futuristic ‘60s designs creates the effect of placing Rabanne’s SS24 collection perfectly in between the past and the future.
On a more modern note, Rabanne also paired chain metal skirts with graphic tees featuring women’s faces, and showed dresses finished with peacock feathers and dramatic fringing (a trend that’s also well established itself for SS24). Wide sequin palazzo pants reminiscent of the ‘80s were paired with matching sparkling tops, and leather shawls were layered over with gold belts adorned with jewels.
Rabanne’s rebrand is iconic because it hasn’t just spun a new aesthetic for the brand out of thin air. Instead, Rabanne has taken cues from its own founder, looking back to the past to marry the brand’s classic aesthetics with modern styles and trends seamlessly. It’s not about escaping the past or redefining a new sense of style; it’s about entering a new era whilst staying true to your House’s codes. Other brands looking to rebrand should take note: this is how it’s done.
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