Paco Rabanne. Men's Fall 2020 - Paris Fashion Week

As discussed in my review of Neil Barrett's Fall 2020 collection at London Fashion Week, there could be an intellectual narrative in relation to the concept of time via the 2020 presentations, Paris has always been edger than the other Fashion Weeks, so it is no surprise that theme such as time and its relationship with reality have been touched upon, also including the science fiction themes.  Modernism as an impression, which has swept the runways of 2019, has to be put into context to its visual reference point.  Semantics and phrases can be overused at times with irrational sentiments, but as a classification of style, it does hold merit.  Particularly modernism, its color palette and clothing styles were a backlash against traditionalism of the 1920s when technology was embraced in earnest – as an expression of freedom, it then later, became a stalwart imprint of hope via traditionalism of the 1950s Nuclear Family, with what seemed as a society stabilizing after WW2 with its mid century furnishings and homogeneity.  Postmodernism was an architectural backlash that the Universities then fused into a mix bag of sloganeering and catchphrases.  All and all, these are just expressive words to use in description of aesthetics.

1960s and 1970s science fiction, more so Europe, began to look at the society aspect rather than space exploration and human conquest.  A dystopian take, after the shadow of destruction from World War Two and a new cold war, on the concept of reality.  These movies and books, looked at the city and human interactions as configured moments under the restriction of time and matter.  There is this fantastic German movie titled “World on a Wire” (1973) directed by the renown filmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder, to which the creative director Julien Dossena for Paco Rabanne may have been inspired.  Without giving too much away in regards to the German SciFi classic, Dossena has implemented for his latest Fall 2020 collection a retro look of virtual realities an enclosed perfect society and corporate conspirators.  Maybe this is all a simulated reflection of worlds.

A 60's modernist wonderland, with all its pattern work and styles, has been opened up as a timeline snapshot.  There is an intensity to its projection for Paco Rabanne's Fall men's wear statement, with Spring 2020 women's styled intermixed throughout.  The fulgurant arrays and structured fits are impressively displayed within a studio setting for the famous brand.  Offering retrofuturism at its finest.