It was guaranteed to be a poignant occasion. Paco Rabanne’s FW23 collection marks its first since the passing of the legendary founder and designer last month. Placed on the seat of every guest was a personal tribute from creative director Julien Dossena thanking Monsieur Rabanne for his radical and utopic creativity that ultimately “changed our view of the world.” Soundtracked by Saint-Preux’s moving Concerto pour une Voix, it was no doubt an homage to the creative calling of Paco Rabanne himself – a true contemporary operating within a classical structure.

Under Dossena, Paco Rabanne remains a brand consumed by women and modernity. The clothes themselves were an entirely sensory experience; models swished and shimmered as they strode by in metallic and crystal embellishments. Early looks appeared focused on a modern iteration of glamour, from glistening lurex knitwear and 90s-inspired sneakers, to the metallic harness detail on a floor-skimming, camel-toned coat – a subtle nod to Dossena’s exploration of grunge and fetish last season. Midway we witnessed a celebration of the historic friendship between Paco Rabanne and Salvador Dali, realised via a capsule of panelled, maxi-length gowns that featured some of the artist’s most renowned works, including The Shades of Night Descending and Sun-Table.

It was only fitting that the show closed with a display of five exquisite creations plucked straight from the designer’s archive, each chainmail mini dress signalling a separate decade of Paco Rabanne’s innovative and ever-evolving vision. As the designer once said: “Each garment must express something. I try to make a garment that will make one woman appear strange; another that will make her very sophisticated; another that will make her modern; another aggressive; another erotic; and still another one… Each garment, for me, is a whole.”