Paco Rabanne's Perfectly Balanced Imbalance

PARIS, France — So far, Julien Dossena, creative director at Paco Rabanne, has firmly steered away from anything too referential of Paco's own work, meaning galactic futurism, metal discs and a general air of Space Age utopia. As the first look — a crystal tunic worn over a hooded top, in clinical white, a bit like Woody Allen's spermatozoa in All You Wanted to Know About Sex — hit the catwalk today, you immediately sensed we were in for another story. Dossena has finally come to terms with the ghost of Paco, and the result, past a few styling hiccups — flashing thighs and a few dresses inspired by, erm, packaging — was noteworthy.

Dossena's own contribution to Rabanne, from day one, has been a brand of youthful, dynamic atheticism. In this last endeavour, the mix of the sporty, the futuristic and even, in the case of the long metal skirts, the slightly monastic, was concise and effective, suggesting a vision in sharp focus. lace and cut outs added a dash of frillier femininity to the proceedings, but that's where the collection looked less convincing. The different elements, however, coalesced wonderfully, converging in a perfectly balanced imbalance: one that keeps pushing Paco Rabanne forward.