BACK IN FASHION

20th-century luxury houses once thought to be past their heyday are now all the rage. We look at how these labels are thriving again today.

- LENA KAMARUDIN

Who could forget the time when fashion and beauty influencer Chiara Ferragni strutted about Paris in a sheer Schiaparelli top with gold nipple covers during fashion week last October? Whether you loved or questioned her look, one thing's for sure: The outfit, which garnered 580K likes on Instagram, was a huge hit.

A leading haute couture house in the 1930s, Schiaparelli is one of the many heritage luxury brands from decades past that are back in fashion. Courreges, known for iconic 1960s staples (think miniskirts and vinyl cropped jackets), is now embraced by the likes of pop star Ariana Grande and model-actor Lily-Rose Depp.

And what about Mugler and Paco Rabanne, two other seemingly lost-to-the-archives houses? Established in the '60s and '70s respectively, these French labels were recognised more for their fragrances in the last 20 years than the cutting-edge designs they were once celebrated for.

Today, Paco Rabanne is much more than a blip on our fashion radar. Its signature chain mail outfits considered so revolutionary during the 1960s that founder Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo was dubbed an enfant terrible then - are back with a vengeance. The brand has also gained a Gen Z following for its '90s-inspired slip dresses, a favourite of celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Kim Kardashian.

As for Mugler, the fashion house has turned its focus back to what it does best: provocative, avant-garde stage costumes that are nothing short of visionary.