BGC, Philippines — Swedish fashion retail brand H&M linked up with iconic French maison Rabanne for its latest designer collection, which was first unveiled at a red carpet event in Paris earlier this month.
Formerly known as Paco Rabanne named after its Spanish founder, fashion atelier Rabanne did a major rebrand in June this year by dropping its first name so the brand can be “simplified and more international in spirit.”
Before his passing in February 2023 at age 88, legendary style visionary Paco Rabanne has defined “space-age fashion” in the 1960s which immortalized chainmail dresses. His breakout collection ‘Twelve Unwearable Dresses in Contemporary Materials’ forecasted retro futurism in fashion, with his hyper mini dresses made from panels of aluminium, iridescent plastic, metal rings, which were considered post-war industrial materials that created a gleaming, utopian vision of the future. The chainmail dresses gave way to the disco-era sequined dresses in the ’70s.
“I defy anyone to design a hat, coat or dress that hasn’t been done before,” Rabanne famously said in 1966. “The only new frontier left in fashion is the finding of new materials.” Before his debut in 1966, Paco was popular for creating plastic accessories for Parisian houses like Givenchy, Schiaparelli and Balenciaga in the early 1960s. In 1999, the Spanish designer stepped back from designing in his fashion empire.
Following Paco’s death in February this year, French designer Julien Dossena – creative director of the house since 2013 took over the entire maison, with a new collection with “dresses that will signal the innovative craftsmanship that defines the timeless and totemic women of Paco Rabanne.”
The new Rabanne H&M collaboration has immortalized a party-ready aesthetic:
The Rabanne H&M collaboration was first announced with a glamorous event in Paris at Silencio nightclub, which was graced by Jared Leto, Damson Idris, Irina Shayk , Tyga and Elle Fanning give an exclusive preview of the collection ahead of its launch.
To represent the Philippines, James Reid and Issa Pressman also attended the launch party.
“Rabanne’s metallic dresses are instantly recognisable pieces of fashion history. We’re thrilled to bring a dazzling array of Rabanne designs to our customers with this sensational collaboration,” said Ann-Sofie Johansson, head of design womenswear and creative advisor at H&M.
“As a designer, I’ve always been interested in exploring hedonism and empowerment. I was very enthusiastic to work with H&M on a collection that will introduce Rabanne’s avant-garde energy to a wider audience in a democratic way,“ Dossena, creative director of Rabanne, said.
The Rabanne H&M collection includes womenswear, menswear, shoes, and accessories, as well as an H&M Home décor capsule that complements the fashion collection.
The collection will launch in selected stores and online at hm.com on November 9, 2023.
In July 2021, Stylish Magazine paid homage to Paco Rabanne’s space-age fashion legacy through a fashion editorial shot by talented fashion photographer Seven Barretto, as seen in the first-ever The Beauty Issue of Stylish Magazine.
Fashion Photography: Seven Barretto
Styling & Concept: Marane Plaza
Makeup: Guillano Valenzuela
Hair: Jeff Valenzuela
Models from Farah Models
You may view Stylish Magazine’s the first-ever The Beauty Issue here #FromTheStylishArchives.