Initial reaction:

Shaking off the shackles of retro-gazing jingle jangle hardware, Julien Dossena is getting into the groove at Paco Rabanne with swift sportswear-imbued clothes that moved to The Streets and Janet Jackson. Straps jutting out of body-conscious tennis dresses with attached D-rings swung. Cleverly constructed dresses that wouldn't look out of place at the gym were part of the "post yoga session" look that Dossena was going for. That house signature of metallic hardware cropped up in garments, circular embroidery on aerated skirts and also as chainmail dropped-waist dresses. Everything had a swift bounce to it – as if the Paco Rabanne girl has places to go to. Switch that around and you could say that Paco Rabanne is going places.  

Lopsided love:

Unexpected asymmetry is something of a signature of Dossena's and you could see it on the panelled and wrap-over skirts, the shirting with a one-sided belted band and the dresses with a hip-high split. Dossena's play with silhouette and shape ensures that Paco Rabanne won't just be an experimental playground for texture and hardware.

Playing with the brand: 

Paco Rabanne has been a tough cookie to crack, but Dossena is definitely up for the challenge. “The values of the house are centred around modernity. Sportswear is a good way of translating that. We also wanted to bring a special sensuality to what we're doing as that's what Paco Rabanne is about. After playing with the codes in a very subtle way, you have a Paco Rabanne girl for the now,” said Dossena after the show. His former employer Nicolas Ghesquière – a master of making a house critically acclaimed – was sitting in the audience offering his support. The home crowd were also cheering Dossena on, believing that his talent will take Paco Rabanne to new heights.