On the Podcast: From Ceramic Purses to Chappell Roan, a Look Inside Julien Dossena’s Rabanne

With a mere 48 hours to go before the spring 2025 Rabanne show in Paris—amid pressing decisions about last looks and skirt lengths—creative director Julien Dossena squeezed in a conversation with Chloe and Chioma for today’s episode of The Run-Through.

Rabanne has had many memorable moments this month, from Ella Purnell’s gorgeous, glitzy, disco-glam Emmys look to Chappell Roan’s dramatic armored dress (complete with a spangled hood) at the MTV Video Music Awards. The latter perfectly complemented Roan’s acceptance speech for the best-new-artist prize, in which she paid tribute to the queer community—specifically addressing queer fans in the Midwest. “I see you, I understand you, because I’m one of you,” she urged from the stage.

Dossena tells The Run-Through that the powerful speech reflected the ethos of the Rabanne brand, noting that its founder, Paco Rabanne, was motivated by a desire to suit women up like warriors as they faced the world in the 1960s. “The type of femininity that he defined at that moment is still relevant for today,” Dossena says, adding that Roan’s look offered a kind of lesson in “how to fight for the rights of just being where you want to be.”

Dossena has been lauded for reinvigorating Rabanne, a brand long associated with the likes of Françoise Hardy, Brigitte Bardot, and the cult character Barbarella. In his role as creative director, which he assumed in 2013, he was tasked with bringing it into the 21st century, while also honoring the space-age aesthetics that made Rabanne popular in the first place. This season strikes just that balance, while also marking the debut of the world’s most expensive purse, a ceramic dress, plus many other surprises. Now as ever, Dossena is thinking ahead.