WATCH | Rabanne is H&M's latest high-fashion collaborator

Since 2004, H&M has been on a mission to make high-end design more accessible by creating limited-edition collections with the who's who of the fashion world — think Versace, Balmain, Mugler and more. 

Needless to say, just the thought of the brand dropping a new designer range is enough to get fashion lover's pulses racing. And its latest collaboration with Rabanne is sure to generate great excitement. 

Fusing futuristic design with innovative craftsmanship, the Rabanne H&M collection draws on the iconic 1960s creations of the fashion house’s late founder, Spanish sartorial legend Paco Rabanne. It takes revolutionary, dance floor-destined style to a new dimension, blending chain mail and glittering sequins with easy sportswear and slick tailoring. 

Spanning womenswear, menswear, accessories as well as a home décor capsule with H&M Home, the Rabanne H&M collection launches on November 9. It will be available at H&M Sandton City in Joburg, H&M V&A Waterfront in Cape Town and online through Superbalist.com. 

Key pieces for women include archival-inspired metallic mesh skirts and mirrored paillette dresses, alongside leopard-print jersey dresses. For men, sequinned turtlenecks turn heads alongside luxe loungewear.

In accessories, contemporary takes on Rabanne’s signature paillette and metallic mesh jewellery steal the spotlight, along with sequinned pool-slides.

Meanwhile the H&M Home capsule includes statement-making metallic and  sculptural accessories. 

The fashion collection has been crafted in long-lasting, high-quality fabrics with premium qualities of wool appearing in the accessories, outerwear and knitwear. In a first for both H&M and Rabanne, the house’s iconic metallic mesh pieces feature both recycled and conventional metal, the result of months of development. Embellished items boast recycled PET sequins and recycled-glass rhinestones.

“For this collaboration, I wanted to do everything I'd never do and anything I had never done. I wanted to explore shapes that were new to me, a very geometrical, simplified (if not simplistic) décor, and of course pay tribute to Paco Rabanne's original world and era through colours and material. I valued his artistic vision, his taste. The collection itself encapsulates that spirit, and gives us something more modern, more democratic to look at and wear,” says Dolan.

“A dramatic collection calls for a breathtaking showcase, so it’s very exciting to bring Xavier Dolan’s inimitable eye to our Rabanne H&M collaboration with a short film that is truly spectacular,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, head of design womenswear and creative adviser at H&M.

This article was sponsored by H&M.