Paco Rabanne
PARIS, March 5, 2005
By Sarah Mower
With so many fashion houses going through a changing of the guard, every debut is avidly checked out by those in search of the next generation of contenders. Patrick Robinson, recently arrived from New York to design for Paco Rabanne, described his first show as clothes "for women who like to be the center of attention in a room. That was what I took from looking at Paco Rabanne's first collection, of 12 chain-mail dresses: the fact that they were provocative and sexy."Still, provocative and sexy has to be appropriate for modern life, and that made Robinson resist launching his first mission directly into the retro space age. Instead, he sent out eveningwear for sophisticated young luxury seekers: strapless satin dresses wound around with flat, abstract ruffles; sheaths with alternating bands of matt and sheen, traced with crystal at the neckline; and sheer plissé Empire dresses with an erotic shadow of Chantilly lace beneath. Links to the house heritage did emerge, but subtly—in the suede chain belts riding on the hip of a wrapped shearling coat, or the disc pattern woven into the toe of gold and silver platform sandals.
Robinson's most seductive pieces fell nicely into that city-girl evening zone that's not about overdone red carpet gowns. They included a deliciously shapely mauve velvet dress, topped with a fox bolero; bomber jackets with epaulets and a twinkle of Lurex; and a narrow skirt overlaid with a delicate bubble of lace. "I wanted the collection to be a palate cleanser, but this is the first step," he said backstage, as TV camera crews and editors pressed forward to congratulate him on the first signs of a reawakening at another Paris house.
/
/
/
see all designers ›
Fall 2005 Ready-to-Wear
A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
E
|
F
|
G
|
H
|
I
|
J
|
K
|
L
|
M
|
N
|
O
|
P
|
R
|
S
|
T
|
U
|
V
|
W
|
Y
|
Z
|
-
A
A.F. Vandevorst Akris Alberta Ferretti Alessandro Dell'Acqua Alexander McQueen Alexandre Herchcovitch Anna Sui Ann Demeulemeester Aquascutum As Four -
B
Balenciaga Basso & Brooke BCBG Max Azria Behnaz Sarafpour Bill Blass Bottega Veneta Boudicca Bruno Pieters Burberry Prorsum -
C
Calvin Klein Carolina Herrera Celine Chado Ralph Rucci Chaiken Chloé Christian Dior Christian Lacroix Clements Ribeiro Comme des Garçons Costello Tagliapietra Costume National -
D
D&G Daryl K Derek Lam Diane von Furstenberg DKNY Dolce & Gabbana Donna Karan Doo.Ri Dries Van Noten Dsquared² -
E
Eleykishimoto Ellesse Emanuel Ungaro Emilio Pucci Emporio Armani Etro -
F
Fendi -
G
Gardem Giambattista Valli Giles Giorgio Armani Gucci -
H
Habitual Hermès Hussein Chalayan -
I
Imitation of Christ -
J
J. Mendel Jasmin Shokrian Jean Paul Gaultier Jeffrey Chow Jill Stuart Jil Sander John Galliano Jonathan Saunders Junya Watanabe -
K
Kenneth Cole New York Kenzo -
L
Lagerfeld Gallery Lanvin Lela Rose Louis Vuitton Luca Luca Luella -
M
Marc by Marc Jacobs Marc Jacobs Marni Martin Grant Matthew Williamson MaxMara Menichetti Michael Kors Missoni Miu Miu Monique Lhuillier Moschino -
N
Narciso Rodriguez Nina Donis Nina Ricci -
O
Oscar de la Renta -
P
Paco Rabanne Paul Smith Women Peter Jensen Peter Som Phi Pollini Prada Preen Proenza Schouler -
R
Ralph Lauren Riccardo Tisci Richard Chai Rick Owens Roberto Cavalli Rochas Roland Mouret -
S
Sari Gueron Sinha-Stanic Sophia Kokosalaki Stella McCartney Sweetface -
T
Temperley London Tess Giberson Thakoon Tsumori Chisato Tuleh -
U
Undercover United Bamboo -
V
Valentino Vera Wang Veronique Branquinho Versace Viktor & Rolf -
W
Wunderkind -
Y
Yohji Yamamoto Yves Saint Laurent -
Z
Zac Posen Zero + Maria Cornejo
ERROR:
