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Putting the pedal to the metal isn’t always the easiest thing to do for a designer, who has to tackle a house legacy that pretty much revolves around, well, clothing made out of metal. It’s a fact that made Lydia Maurer’s mod-inspired autumn/winter 13 collection for Paco Rabanne all the more impressing. “These materials aren’t always considered wearable,” the designer told i-D after show. “The challenge for me is to make them wearable and give them a place, while at the same time giving them that ‘piece’ vibe and working on a contemporary wardrobe.” In drawing on something as comprehensible as Paco Rabanne’s 60s roots and his association with the mods of said era – with all the metal mini skirts, chain mail jumpsuits and skimpy dresses it entailed – Maurer created an accessible collection, which seemed as natural for the house as it would for its wearer. “I wanted to give it a really concise wardrobe feeling, with really classic pieces reworked in metal,” Lydia said, noting how she’d given the metal pieces a new softness and femininity, whilst adding in more non-metal garments for balance. “Working with such amazing materials, you can really touch upon things that are not usual. And what’s so great about it is that I can work with fabric and mix it with both materials, and that’s what makes it really special,” she said. “That’s what makes Paco Rabanne completely different.”
Text: Anders Christian Madsen
Photography: Mitchell Sams
