The Designer Interview: Julien Dossena of Rabanne
With more than a decade at the helm of Rabanne, JULIEN DOSSENA has established himself as the pioneering force behind some of fashion’s most eye-catching ensembles. Here, the French creative director tells GILLIAN BRETT why his scintillating, exclusive NET-A-PORTER capsule is destined for the dance floor and how music has always been Rabanne’s main muse
Music has always been the beating heart of the house of Rabanne. In 1978, the late designer Paco Rabanne co-founded a first-of-its-kind cultural hub and nightclub in Paris called Black Sugar, which became a meeting point for aspiring Black musicians, as well as a place to party. “There were all these young people, the breakers and the rappers, coming to that space every weekend,” says Rabanne’s creative director, Julien Dossena. By the ’80s, Rabanne had launched a record label too, which produced Black French, Caribbean and African music. “Some of the biggest groups in French hip-hop came from that,” adds Dossena.
Dossena, who was born in 1982, also spent his early years in nightclubs. His father owned a club in his native Brittany, and the designer has vivid memories of his wide-eyed, six-year-old self taking in the people, the music, the energy. “It was like a playground for adults; it gave me hope for adulthood,” he jokes. In his teenage years, he rebelled against ‘club culture’ and was more interested in the underground raves and techno scene that was taking off – until he moved to Paris and discovered places like the Rex Club, where this shoot took place. “That was really my club when I arrived – it had the best DJs, musicians and producers… I could feel all the memories coming back,” says Dossena of this institution of Paris nightlife.
Nowadays, Dossena has hung up his dancing shoes, for the most part, in favor of cozy nights by the fire with friends in his country residence. But his years spent immersed in various music scenes, and the rich Rabanne archive, make him the perfect designer to helm the vivacious brand – and for NET-A-PORTER to partner with on a scintillating, exclusive capsule that sees Rabanne’s signature chainmail shimmer across slinky dresses, halterneck tops, mini skirts and vintage-style beanies. There are also plush velvet separates, zebra prints and sequin-strewn maxi dresses, iridescent handbags and sparkling drop earrings. These are pieces that will make you instantly stand out from the crowd, for all the right reasons, at your next party. “When you see a girl wearing a mesh dress coming into a nightclub or a restaurant, she brings the party with her; it’s as if she’s the only person in the room,” says Dossena.
““When you see a girl wearing a mesh dress coming into a nightclub or a restaurant, she brings the party with her; it’s as if she’s the only person in the room”
”Julien Dossena
He describes the Rabanne capsule as “nightwear”, as opposed to eveningwear: “The pieces that you wear to dance and to let go. It’s kind of mythological when you wear those mesh clothes; you feel that you are this Paco Rabanne girl… which I love because it makes the link between the first collection that he made and that energy that Paco Rabanne wanted to bring.” The Spanish designer unveiled his first chainmail dress at his 1966 debut, provocatively called Twelve Unwearable Dresses in Contemporary Materials. He was the first to use futuristic, industrial materials like metal and plastic in haute couture – and was adored by women such as French singer and style icon Françoise Hardy. There’s a misconception that to be chic you must be understated, but the truth is chicness and confidence are inseparable; wear what makes you feel your best, be it an LBD or a dazzling, gold chainmail mini dress.
Since taking the mantle at Rabanne (he dropped the ‘Paco’ two years ago as part of a rebrand) in 2013, Dossena has continued to experiment with fabrics and embellishments – whether that’s using technology to create a striking metallic fabric that gave garments the illusion of being soaked in liquid metal for his spring/summer 2013 collection, or laying paillettes that mimic the texture of fur on coat lapels for fall/winter 2025. And, of course, there are the intricate sequin-covered gowns that are often spotted glistening on the red carpets on everyone from Gigi Hadid and Laura Harrier to Chappell Roan.
For spring/summer 2026, Dossena took the plunge with AI. “It’s always interesting to find creation and discovery with new technology and innovating techniques,” he says as he describes his experience of working with AI prompts on some of the tropical prints from the collection. “It’s quite magical in a way… It’s more of an intellectual exercise [than designing by hand].” However, he’s quick to add that it’s all about balance and using artificial intelligence proportionally.
““I’m steady, but at the same time, I’m always searching for something new for me and for the brand”
”Julien Dossena
Cutting his teeth at Balenciaga during Nicolas Ghesquière’s tenure of reinvention – for which he is noted for blending archival references with futurism – also set Dossena up for success at Rabanne. (In an interesting parallel, Paco Rabanne’s mother was a head seamstress at Balenciaga in the 1930s.) Dossena’s stint at the Spanish house after graduating in 2008 lasted four years, while his friendship with Ghesquière endures. The pair, who previously dated, have remained close and often attend each other’s shows, with Dossena recently traveling to Barcelona for Louis Vuitton’s Cruise 2025 show – where Ghesquière is now artistic director of womenswear – and Ghesquière sitting front row at the latest Rabanne show. It was through Ghesquière that Dossena first met the acclaimed stylist Marie-Amélie Sauvé, who recognized his talent and introduced him to Marc Puig, CEO of Spanish conglomerate Puig, which now owns Rabanne. The house had become retro and passé, floundering after its visionary founder left in 1999, and Sauvé suggested Dossena was the designer to reinvigorate it.
Twelve years on and Dossena has turned the brand around, bringing back its relevance with modern, distinctive designs, while respecting its pioneering heritage. When I first interviewed him in 2018, he was keen to convey his desire to “grow steadily, to not overwhelm my team, and to be really checking the quality of the clothes.” Thus, his has been a steady transformation rather than a radical overhaul. Back then, he was also conscious of not being the ‘new darling’ who explodes onto the fashion scene and vanishes just as quickly. “I’m steady, but at the same time, I’m always searching for something new for me and for the brand,” he says of his strategy, which has garnered him both measured expansion and critical praise. Having launched menswear, makeup, a fragrance and a new ‘Ring’ bag silhouette, next on his list to conquer are shoes.
There has been a great deal of change in the fashion industry of late. In the past year alone, new designers have signed on at leading luxury brands including Gucci, Celine, Loewe, Dior, Balenciaga, Chanel, Bottega Veneta and Fendi. Dossena likens the rapid pace of creative director shifts, and the star power of some of those in the top jobs, to football – “are you in division A or division B?”– calling to mind the speed and excitement of the transfer window. While it has, he says, felt somewhat “invigorating”, and invites a “healthy feeling of competition”, Dossena also describes it as “really violent, because it makes you feel that you are disposable as a designer.”
Dossena is a deeply private and “quite shy” person who struggles with the new-gen glare of platforms like Instagram and TikTok. “We are much more public figures than we were before. Before it was the brand and the collection and now you have to really incarnate [the brand]… People have to know you.” What we do know about Dossena is that he is someone who really cares about how his customer feels in his designs. When asked what he would like his legacy at Rabanne to be, he says he wants to create clothes that make women feel “as strong as they can be… to help them to express themselves with as much freedom as I can give them.” With dazzling metallic dresses that are part armor and part disco ball, wearing one on your next night out will definitely feel both empowering and liberating.
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