Rabanne’s fine fragrance collection smells like chainmail and strawberries

Rabanne launched its first make-up line a year ago (August 2023), with the intension of disrupting the beauty industry in the same way Paco Rabanne disrupted fashion.

The 1966 debut of the Spanish designer’s ‘Twelve Unwearable Dresses in Contemporary Materials’ collection sent shockwaves through the couture salons of Paris. As the legendary fashion editor Polly Mellen once said: ‘The first time I went to one of his shows, I remember saying: “What is going on here? I don't believe it! It’s so beautiful and so different! Gladiator dresses, a suit of armour, a warrior, the new male!''’

Rabanne’s fragrances are unusual in the best way possible

However, revolutionising make-up is no easy task in today’s highly saturated beauty market. Conceived by make-up artist Diane Kendal, products like ‘Shimmer Bomb’ (a glitter spray that creates a veil of radiance all over the skin or body), ‘Liquid Shots’ (amplifiers in metallic and glitter finishes, which provide a disco ball glimmer to eyes, cheeks and lips), and ‘Dramalips’ (wet-look lipsticks with a radiclally glossy finish), prove that Rabanne lived up to the task.

Now, Rabanne has debuted ‘La Collection Rabanne’, its first line of luxury fragrances, which have been made with the same innovative yet time-honoroued vision. Designed by six of the industry’s most celebrated noses, including the likes of Fanny Bal and Fabrice Pellegrin – who have also worked with perfume houses Frédéric Malle and Diptyque respectively – the collection is comprised of eight perfumes. Each one is inspired by a different aspect of the brand, from significant dates and places to fabrics and materials.

Much like Rabanne’s clothing (the fashion brand is currently led by creative director Julien Dossena) these fragrances are best suited to those hoping to make a statement with what they wear. When I visited Rabanne’s Paris headquarters to discover the collection, I was particularly struck by how distinct they are from one another. As a whole, they are unusual in the best possible sense.

The experience recalled my initial encounter with the first fragrance collection from Dries Van Noten, another Puig-owned beauty diffusion line from a fashion house. (This was also made by an ensemble cast of perfumers, invited to interpret the brand’s aesthetic through their unique olfactory visions.)

Where the Dries Van Noten fragrances reflected the brand’s idiosyncratic yet refined glamour, Rabanne’s are punchy and flamboyant, with a slight metallic silage throughout. Standouts from the range include ‘Silver Skin’, a scent inspired by the cool feeling of a Rabanne chainmail dress against the body. Woody with mineral touches via a blend of iris concrete, vanilla and ambrox, it’s peculiar in the best possible way.

‘Midnight Sex’ is an unabashedly carnal scent inspired by Paco Rabanne’s revealing designs. It’s an almost sugary combination of tuberose and sweet coconut pulp, tempered with leathery touches of sandalwood oil. ‘Armure Mara’, another of my favourites, is a truly remarkable gourmand, made from a never-before-seen 100 per cent natural extract of strawberries. (This is a highly technical feat in the world of perfumery, I’m told). These fresh, and summery mouth-watering notes are combined with the high-contrast of earthy patchouli, for a perfume that is simultaneously sweet and heady.

Each eau de parfum comes in a square walled bottle made from glass that also, naturally, have flourishes of metal. This includes the silver-toned and gold-toned cap, embossed with the Rabanne monogram, and final adornment in the form of a chain link from the brand’s signature ‘Eight’ jewellery.

‘La Collection Rabanne’ is available now, exclusively at a Selfridges, with other retailers soon to come.

rabanne.com