“It’s a bit like hybrid, collage dressing.” Julien Dossena’s Rabanne pre-fall collection ranges from sparkly Ibiza-themed beachwear to Georgia O’Keeffe Western-influenced suede outerwear. Both co-exist within the design universe Dossena has made his own for the last 12 years, a duration that’s a rare achievement in this typically quick-turnover fashion world.
This season, his notion of beach-dressing starts at sundown, swirling stylistically somewhere around the eclectic fusion of 20th century vintage fashion that washed up in the 1970s. Thus, 1930s floral print maxi skirts co-exist with jazz-age Deco beaded zig-zag patterned embroidered tulle off-the shoulder tops and dresses, and stripy shrunken polos and cardigans.
Although Dossena abandoned dutifully literal references to Paco Rabanne’s space-age 1960s designs a long time ago, his subtle nods to that provenance persist. The retro-futuristic leather-framed sunglasses are Rabanne archival originals, styled within the section that mixes prairie Americana print dresses with oversized silver metallic belt buckles, and suede and shearling outerwear.
Is there chainmail? Of course, that’s the essence of the brand’s identity, constantly morphing in sync with Dossena’s themes. The 1969 baguette-shaped handbag is testament to the ‘hybrid age’ sensibility Dossena was talking about; it manifests in metallic paillettes mixed with leather, raffia, and wooden beaded fringe. The result: crafty contradictions that shouldn’t go together but are laden with contemporary charm.
