Hot, Young Designer Shakes up Paco Rabanne

Hot Young Designer Shakes up Paco Rabanne
It's never easy for a fashion designer to seize the creative reins at a historic house.

The newest apparel interpretations are always judged against what the namesake and subsequent hired-gun designers did.

What's tough is staying true to the brand while injecting it with a dose of modern, forward-looking newness.

And that's just what Patrick Robinson intends to do for Paris-based Paco Rabanne.

"I think we've been attracting a woman that has a pretty confident, sexy outlook, but there's something about her that's very strong," said Robinson, 39, from Shanghai, China, where on Tuesday he introduced the Rabanne line during the city's Fashion Week.

"The way we've positioned the line at this early time is that the clothes are jewels.

People are buying pieces that are unique and personal."

The designer will visit Saks Fifth Avenue tonight to present his Resort '05 collection as a benefit for the nonprofit beautification group Gateway Green.

But don't expect Robinson to raid Paco Rabanne archives for ideas.

He's looking ahead -- especially after visiting Shanghai.

"There's something about it that feels like the future," he said.

"The young Chinese here, they look like they're going to change the world.

"Robinson became an industry darling during stints at Giorgio Armani in Milan, Italy, and then