Will we ever outgrow our teenage obsessions?
Rabanne creative director Julien Dossena still remembers when he first discovered old issues of British magazines like The Face and Dazed & Confused from the early '90s.
It was in his mid-teens, when he started going to raves and one passion fueled another. Fast forward to today, and Dossena continues to channel his fascination with British style and music-driven trends ranging from New Wave to grunge.
They were all incorporated into its resort 2025 collection, titled “English Rose Remix,” which combined British staples like twin sets and florals with bohemian, glamorous variations on the Space Age brand’s signature chainmail and sequins.
Cargo pants in an artistic camouflage print were paired with Lurex knits with a faded rose motif, while an apricot velvet cape blouse and crystal-embellished mini skirt looked cut from the same vintage tea dress.
There were nods to royal style, with a floral-embroidered cardigan and brocade jackets in a delicate shade of sugary almond green, while powerful shoulders came in a variety of forms, from a loose-fitting brushed wool tartan coat to a blazer. worn black leather.
Dossena balanced the masculine elements with a variety of sultry evening outfits, ranging from a slim ivory dress with laser-cut fringe to a chain vest adorned with metal leaves worn over a long black eyelet skirt, though even that ensemble The statuesque figure was dressed in a trucker's cap.
The designer was inspired by the way young people on the channel mix and match their outfits.
“They have a way of combining clothes and expressing their individuality that is much more interesting and diverse than in France, for example, which is quite conservative,” he said. “I've always found that freedom tremendously inspiring.”
Dossena finally got to experience that culture firsthand.
As a student at Belgium's La Cambre fashion school in the early 2000s, she was offered an internship at Alexander McQueen in London, but abandoned it after just two weeks. She ended up spending the rest of her stay working in a pub and hanging out with art student friends, which proved equally formative.
“I loved that summer. I finally had the impression of really experiencing that English spirit,” she said. Some first impressions last a lifetime.
