For her 46th birthday, Kim Kardashian resurrected not one, but two metallic relics from the sartorial archives. For a family dinner at Baldi at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, Kim opted for two ensembles plucked from Paco Rabanne's coveted autumn/winter 1995 Haute Couture collection.
Both looks consisted of a crystal-embellished mini dress styled with a matching headpiece. The first was a metallic, olive-green garment in the style of a tunic. The dress featured a deep V-neckline with kimono-inspired sleeves. It boasted a daring slit at the hem and was embellished with intricate orange and blue gems along the edges and bodice. The shiny texture offered a daring play on the naked dress trend that continues to pepper the fashion frontlines. It was styled with a bejeweled headpiece for a striking finish.
Kim slipped into a burgundy version of the same look before leaving the restaurant. The dress was styled over simple black lingerie, with its deep, rich hue offering a sultrier take for the evening. The garment was styled with the matching chainmail headpiece and a statement necklace that formed part of the dress.
© Instagram
Kim's luscious raven locks were left down in soft waves while her makeup oozed glam, courtesy of a bronze smoky eye and a nude lip.
© Instagram
Kim Kardashian's Paco Rabanne birthday dress
Charlotte Cohu, founder of Lovers Lane, a vintage designer boutique in West London, spoke to HELLO! to offer her expert take on Kim's birthday look. "I think it's a collection that still feels futuristic even to this day, it was definitely a nod to Paco's earlier days in the 60s and 70s more so than his other 90s collections," she shared. " A nod to the space age. To own and wear a haute couture Paco piece from this collection is incredible as pieces were made in such limited batches. I would expect this to be a runway piece."
© Instagram
When Paco Rabanne debuted his 1966 collection, Twelve Unwearable Dresses in Contemporary Materials, he permanently redefined the maison's DNA. Merging medieval armor and Joan of Arc references with space-age design, Rabanne introduced metallic chainmail to haute couture – a bold, futuristic look that remains synonymous with the brand today.
"Given the craft that went into his pieces, often they were haute-couture or custom. It could take 500 hours to complete one piece alone. With the chain mail dresses, each tiny piece of metal is joined together with pliers to form the shape of the garment. I think this rarity only adds to their specialness, but when you do see one it is instantly recognizable as Rabanne. The quality shows too – pieces that are over 50 years old look like they were made yesterday," explained Charlotte.