Paco Rabanne introduces menswear at playful seventies runway show

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Sep 27, 2019

Paco Rabanne recreated the darkness of a dance floor cut through with colourful spots of light for its latest runway show on Thursday. Perhaps in the name of continuity, these same bright spots would later reappear on certain black outfits sent down the runway. For next summer, creative director Julien Dossena breathed new life into the care-free colour and joy of the 1970s, adding his own romantic twist. 

The designer also revealed his first menswear looks for the brand, which were mixed in gaily with the womenswear. The same silvered and checked suits could be found in both wardrobes, as could the playfully graphic jacquard jumpers, the denim jackets, the jeans embroidered with stars and hearts, and the floral prints. 

For Spring/Summer 2020, the brand launched its first men's line with the idea seemingly being to extend the aesthetic of its women's ready-to-wear into the menswear universe. For the moment, the collection will be distributed exclusively by a hand-picked selection of the coolest multi-brand retailers around the world, as well as on the brand's e-commerce site.

It was a simultaneously dreamy and optimistic collection, backed up by a soundtrack featuring Françoise Hardy's languid 1973 hit "Message personnel" and finished with a touch of psychedelia. Bold primary colours were thrown together in romantico-naïf prints depicting big red hearts, sunsets and rainbows, as well as a shining sun spreading its rays over a silver jacket. 

The embroidered birds, the boots, the long medieval sleeves of certain floral dresses and the white daisies strewn across frilly black frocks channelled the boho aesthetic of the 70s, along with the metallic micro-bags decorated with leather maxi-fringes. 

Metallic knit dresses and jumpers inspired by the brand's archives rounded out this season's offering. With its wide variety of colourful prints and patchwork silhouettes, the whole collection gave off a feeling of freshness and energy.