Kim Kardashian went back to 1995 for her birthday — twice.
Her green and fuchsia metal-mesh minidresses appeared back-to-back on the original runway of Rabanne’s fall 1995 haute couture collection as looks 21 and 22.
The Skims founder wore both for her 46th birthday celebration in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, arriving at Baldi in the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills in green before changing into the fuchsia one. Rabanne’s new creative director, Olivier Rousteing, selected the archival pieces, while Law Roach, who Kardashian started working with last month, handled the styling.
Kardashian’s first look was cut like a very short robe, with a plunging V-neckline, wide, bell-shaped elbow-length sleeves and a daring front slit. The shimmering green mesh draped loosely from her shoulders before gathering at a crystal-embellished waistline. Multicolored stones also traced the low-cut neckline, sleeve edges and hem, bringing additional shimmer and a subtle additional pop of color to the metallic fabric.
The headpiece was considerably more ornate. A network of jeweled chains cover the top of Kardashian’s head, with oversize emerald-colored stones arranged across her forehead and smaller multicolored embellishments falling along the sides. The original runway model wore the same intricate design, although Kardashian let her long, straight hair hang straight beneath it, whereas the runway model had her hair pinned up.
She kept her footwear comparatively simple, opting for a pair of Paris Texas’ popular Lidia mules in a black patent leather.
The outfit change brought a new color but matched much of the construction of the first. Look 22 traded green for fuchsia, retaining the plunging neckline, loose sleeves and crystal-trimmed waist.
Kardashian also swapped headpieces, replacing the one with large emerald stones with a dense netted arrangement of smaller red and pink jewels that draped over her forehead. A long beaded neckline with an ornate cross-shaped pendant fell into the deep neckline, just as it had on the July 1995 runway in Paris.
For Rousteing, the archival selections come just months into his tenure at Rabanne. The designer officially joined the Puig-owned house in July after 16 years at Balmain, including 14 as creative director. His first Rabanne runway show is scheduled for March 2027.
In a July interview with WWD, Rousteing recalled discovering Paco Rabanne’s Space Age designs as a child while watching television with his grandparents in Bordeaux, France.
“I remember thinking, ‘Are these dresses, or are they superheroes?” he said, referencing seeing Françoise Hardy, Brigitte Bardot and Audrey Hepburn in the designs.
Kardashian isn’t the first celebrity to revisit Rabanne’s mid-1990s archives. Anya Taylor-Joy wore a spiked spring 1996 design to the Sydney premiere of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” in May 2024.
Roach also has a history with the archive: He styled Megan Thee Stallion in a gold spring 1997 Paco Rabanne ensemble, recreated by then-creative director Julien Dossena, for a Hollywood stylists’ dinner in March 2023.
Kardashian continued her birthday celebrations later in the week in Rome, where she was spotted in a rare archival Louboutins and a white maxidress — also with a plunging V-neckline — as she made her way to a Bulgari store on Friday.