The End of an Era: Julien Dossena Departs Rabanne After 13 Years
Julien Dossena has stepped down as creative director of Rabanne after 13 years at the house, closing a tenure that proved transformative for the brand. A successor has yet to be confirmed.
Dossena arrived with a strong foundation in European fashion. A graduate of La Cambre in Brussels, he took the 1.2.3 prize at the International Festival of Fashion and Photography in Hyères in 2006, then spent four years at Balenciaga working alongside Nicolas Ghesquière. He was only 30 when he joined Rabanne in early 2013, initially working under then-creative director Lydia Maurer. At the time, he had been developing his own label, Atto.
His debut collection in 2014 presented innovative materials and futuristic silhouettes that set the tone for his tenure. For Spring 2026, vintage 1950s swimming costumes inspired a collection that reframed the Rabanne woman through a beach lens. His final runway offering for Fall 2026 layered the house’s iconic metallic embellishment with more unexpected, everyday textures in his typically intricate fashion.
Beyond the collections, his time at Rabanne brought wider change. The house underwent a full rebrand, launched a collaboration with H&M, and built a celebrity clientele that included Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, Sabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa and Miley Cyrus.
Dossena has spoken of the role as holding lasting meaning, both professionally and personally. The house credited him with bringing genuine cultural currency to its heritage codes and connecting the brand to a younger audience.
