Rabanne Mixes “Toughness and Tenderness” for Spring 2025

The most dramatic moment of Rabanne’s spring 2025 collection wasn’t all the usual sparkling chainmail, the eccentric layering and styling, nor was it the VIPs in their glammed-out getups. There was one single look that took the crowd’s breath away: a mini dress covered in gold leaf, which delicately flaked off into the air as the model whooshed by on the Palais de Tokyo runway.

“We wanted to have that feeling on the dress, because of course, it was not possible to make the dress in full gold,” said creative director Julien Dossena backstage after the show. To match it? A gold Nano bag from 1969 done in collaboration with French artisan house Arthus Bertrand, following Rabanne’s recent art-focused bag offerings done in ceramics or Murano glass.

Elsewhere, the story of the collection seemed to focus on grand contrasts of hard and soft, wardrobe heroes reinvented through the Dossena lens. The unexpected pairings—like highly embellished pieces with striped t-shirts or baggy shorts—were part of the distinct language the designer has cultivated.

Another point of reference for the collection was Safe, the 1995 American psychological horror film starring Julianne Moore. “The color palette is amazing,” Dossena said of the movie. “She’s living in a house [covered in packing material]. I was really interested in that packaging feeling, like a gift. What does it mean for clothes—packaging on the body?” He described some of the more complex layering like “candy packaging” or “layers and layers of wrapping paper in the box.” A sea of frothy pastels anchored the collection in hues of mint green, pale pinks, and buttery beiges. And those signature party dresses? They now have a delicate sort of edginess, with gold and silver leaf in sturdy silhouettes or deep, structural cutouts.

Dossena is adamant about his love of people-watching in the real world, especially while on the subway. That inspiration and messaging carried over into the spring 2025 collection. “I always try to express a vision for the moment that I find interesting, a certain kind of femininity by observing women in the streets,” the designer added. “I try to balance that reality with layering. You can pick and choose and be free to take what you want from it.” Shiny chainmail skirts with sarong-like details were styled with t-shirts, giving the effect of a sweater tied around the waist. A huge blazer with a sequin-studded lapel over a knitted miniskirt and sweater set was on the runway, but also something you’d see a New Yorker wearing on the train.

Dossena spoke about wanting to create clothes with “toughness filled with tenderness.” In the designer’s world, it’s all about putting together a puzzle of startlingly beautiful contrasts with a healthy dose of real-world, pragmatic styling.