Paco Rabanne wears many masks: fragrance mogul, fashion designer, illustrator, etc. But to many he is simply l’enfant terrible or the unruly child of fashion. Rabanne has dipped his toe in every aspect of fashion. And by that, we mean cannon balled into the scene and turned heads. Eschewing traditional fabrics for more radical materials, his futuristic designs naturally caught the eye of actress Françoise Hardy. If that name sounds vaguely familiar it’s because she’s best known for her role in sci-fi cult classic Barbarella. So what’s Rabanne’s next challenge: active wear.
With the meteoric rise of fashionable active wear in the past few years, it’s tempting to view Rabanne’s interest as mere conformism. But as Rabanne has proven time and time again, true creativity can use any medium, even hydrophobic spandex. His just released active wear collection involves a few must have pieces. The sports bra underwear set is my favorite pick hands down. The collection houses a few items women always love to see, like yoga/work out pants with attachable bottoms and some really cool tops. You can still see the specter of that Barbarella chainmail look in his collection but it’s updated with a clean lines and a sleek modern minimalism. It fits the new wave totally. In my opinion the fit comfy look is where everyone wants to head. As a designer myself, Rabanne’s new line is taking my thoughts deep into the multi functional collection I will create. Truly inspiring. I most definitely am considering grabbing a thing or two and those who know me know I don’t shop brands… Job well done as always Mr. Rabanne!
Signing Off
-TB