Listen to a playlist inspired by the musical world of Paco Rabanne

A journey through the vibrant Paris nightlife scene Paco Rabanne helped shape.

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While fashion history has firmly secured Paco Rabanne’s place as a visionary designer, less explored is the cultural network he helped cultivate beyond the runway. In the late 1970s and early 1980s in Paris, he became a central figure in the city’s music scene, bringing together artists, performers and creatives at a moment when new ideas and sounds were flourishing.

In 1978, he co-founded Black Sugar, a club that became a key venue for dancers, musicians and club kids as Paris’s nightlife culture entered this new era. A few years later came Centre 57, an ambitious arts space in the city’s 10th arrondissement that offered studios, rehearsal rooms and performance opportunities to a growing community of emerging talent.

At the centre of this world sat Paco Rabanne Design, the designer’s record label. Founded in the early 1980s, it released music mostly by Afro-disco and funk artists, documenting a thriving scene and providing a platform for artists including Judy Carter, Kéké Kassiry, Victor Lee Roy and M’Bamina.

This playlist gathers music released through Paco Rabanne Design, alongside records that orbited the same scene and spirit. Click through and dig in below.