The Rabanne 1999/2000 couture collection included a number of designs in aluminum, a material he first used in 1966. The Atomium Dress pays homage to the landmark Atomium, also constructed out of aluminum and built in 1958 for the Brussels World’s Fair. Metal clothing is not new--chain mail and armor have existed for centuries--but Rabanne’s reinvention and reinterpretation using aluminum have moved it from the battlefield to the fashion runway.

Paco Rabanne Spanish, b. 1934 Atomium Bruxelles Dress, 1999 aluminum and stainless steel L. 43 1/4 in. (110 cm) Collection of the designer