Blame Paco Rabanne, CDG, Manish Arora for the Fringe

Even at the height of yet another wave of minimalism, we crave a little bit of chainmail and fringe. And who better to indulge you than the house of Paco Rabanne, the label virtually synonymous with the swinging ’60s. Last month, Rabanne edged back onto the map with the re-launch of its iconic “Le 69” bag, in collaboration with Japanese house Comme des Garçons. Sold exclusively at CDG flagships, the new bags were a cleverly reimagined rubber take on the classic “Paco-tiled” metal bag. “The bag has been part of Rei Kawakubo’s wardrobe for no less than 40 years,” says the CDG team.
 
This month, the bag has a new master: English jeweler and artist Judy Blame. In his version, the classic metal bag is adorned—and by that we mean dripping—with coins, whistles, flowers… virtually anything that jingles. Blurring the line between jewellery and handbags, the Judy Blame 69 bag could as easily be worn on the neck and as it is clasped in hand.
 
Accessory revitalization aside, Rabanne’s taken the intercontinental coup even further, by announcing Indian designer Manish Arora as the label’s new creative director. With his first womenswear collection due to be presented in Paris during the spring 2012 shows, Arora’s whimsical take on embroidery, embellishment, colour, and sex appeal is a natural fit with the Rabanne identity.