As the creative director of Paco Rabanne, Julien Dossena takes his artistic cue from the house’s 60s heritage before giving it all a hefty modernist spin. For a new project in collaboration with A Magazine the Brittany-born designer turns his aesthetic approach towards photography for a special 100-page magazine.

Titled NUDES CURATED BY JULIEN DOSSENA, the publication marks the 31st International Festival of Fashion and Photography in Hyères, where Dossena sits at the head of the fashion jury and celebrates the French town renowned for its gardens and Romanesque architecture.

Exploring contemporary notions of nudity and eroticism, the concept nods back to Jean Clemmer’s 1969 monograph Nues, a photography collaboration with Paco Rabanne that celebrates the female nude alongside the designer’s iconic pieces. As well as pushing sexual boundaries, the book was also revolutionary for being the first such images to depict black and Asian models.

Dossena’s new release expands on these concepts and brings it up to date. Shot by Spanish photographer Coco Capitàn and styled by Elodie David, the series is set in the luxe grounds of the Villa Noailles, the 1920s modernist maison d’hiver designed by Robert Mallet-Stevens for Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles perched high above the town of Hyères. Featuring both contemporary and archive Paco Rabanne pieces, the images align the Paco Rabanne vision, presenting the brand’s woman: strong, determined and empowered.

NUDES CURATED BY JULIEN DOSSENA is available at the Villa Noailles in Hyères, Colette Paris, and Dover Street Market London.