Spanish fashion designer Paco Rabanne, who was born on February 18, 1934, in the Basque town of Pasajes, province of Gipuzkoa, has passed away. Rabanne died in Portsall, Britanny, at the age of 88. He was well renowned for his metallic ensembles and space-age designs from the 1960s.
The death of Francisco Rabaneda y Cuervo, Rabanne’s birth name, was confirmed by a spokesperson for the Spanish group Puig, which controls the Paco Rabanne label he exited two decades ago.
At the beginning of his design career, Rabanne made jewellery for Givenchy, Dior, and Balenciaga before starting his own fashion business in 1966. The title of his debut collection was "Twelve Experimental Dresses." The release of "Twelve Unwearable Dresses," which he planned to use as a manifesto, came next in 1966.
He frequently used unconventional materials including metal, paper, and plastic for his flamboyant creations, and his work was closely associated with a Space Age aesthetic. Most people probably associate Rabanne with the green outfit Jane Fonda wore in the science fiction movie 'Barbarella' from 1968.
Rabanne retired in 1999, but Puig brought his brand back into existence in 2011 as a fashion house and fragrance company that still continues today.
Rest in peace, legend!
(Source – Instagram / WWD)