{ The Future } Is Now

While Paco Rabanne’s original designs were the quintessence of Swinging Sixties space age chic, the future is now in Lydia Maurer’s new designs for the brand. They carry a more expressive texture than ever before ~ like the modern woman, they are equal parts hard and soft. They are daring and cheeky; they are at once both richly layered and stripped of excess. They are youthful and fresh, but exquisitely crafted in the grand, time-honored tradition of handmade French couture. As someone who has studied the art of dressmaking, and made their living working with clothes, it was an extraordinary gift to peek behind the scenes, into the making of something so special and rare in this mass-produced world we live in. Unfortunately, I was not able to stay in Paris long enough to see the finished collection walk the runway. So, when it was suddenly stranded in New York for a few days because of the recent hurricane, I knew I’d do whatever it took to witness the results of the Paco Rabanne artisans’ imaginative handiwork for myself.Given that the subways were down and there were no cabs due to gas rationing, this meant walking 5 miles from Brooklyn to midtown at the crack of dawn, on a bleakly cold winter day. Astonishingly, I was able to convince my intrepid friend Athena Calderone to join me on this mission. It had been a tough week for our city, and we both agreed that a little glamour was the just soul-lifting elixir we needed.I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised by her gameness ~ Athena has always struck me as a woman who says yes to all of life’s possible adventures. I met her a little over a year ago, when we filmed this Taxi TV spot (along with our mutual friend Chelsea Leyland), and was immediately enamored ~ albeit a little intimidated.She is just so cool. An immensely gifted interior designer, Athena has gut-wrenchingly gorgeous homes in both Brooklyn and Amagansett. Both are an incredible reflection of her style and energy ~ modern but worldly, luxurious but lived-in. There’s a soulful sexiness to both these spaces, a true reflection of Athena’s aura.When we first met, all I saw was this tremendous coolitude, but the more I get to know her the more deeply beautiful I find her to be. She has a truly generous nature, a passionate femininity. She deftly juggles her successful design career with the running of a stunning cooking blog, Eye Swoon ~ and is a sweetly doting wife and mother. In her, I see a role model of modern womanhood. She lives well and loves deeply, running both a business and a family with calm elan. I’ve been dying to shoot her since day one!Athena inspires me in the same way the new Paco Rabanne does. At first glance, both appear edgy and maybe a little bit tough. But upon closer inspection, both are surprisingly soft and gently textured. Both the woman and the clothes are pretty rock n’ roll ~ but it’s definitely a love song.|THE FUTURE IS NOW| starring Athena Calderone |PHOTOS| by Jamie Beck |STYLING| by Kelly Framel