His radical and abstract ideas make Paco Rabanne a creative pioneer in the fashion world. His style influences generations. After years of professional seclusion, the Spaniard is now dying at the age of 88.
Fashion designer Paco Rabanne is dead. He died at the age of 88, as confirmed by the Spanish cosmetics group Puig.
"He is one of the most important personalities in the fashion world of the 20th century and his legacy will remain a constant source of inspiration," the fashion house paid tribute to him on Instagram. "We are grateful to Monsieur Rabanne for establishing our avant-garde heritage and defining a future of unlimited possibilities."
Rabanne was born in 1934 in San Sebastián, Spain. In 1939 his mother fled to France with him. Rabanne became known in the 1960s for his extravagant clothing designs. Unlike other fashion designers at the time, he used little satin or velvet, instead playing with materials such as aluminum or plastic.
In recent years he has been best known for his perfume line. Rabanne was considered a self-taught fashion designer. His mother worked for fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga. In the 1960s, Rabanne founded his eponymous company, which has been fully owned by the Spanish cosmetics group Puig for several decades.
The fashion designer had a penchant for futuristic designs. In the mid-1960s, he became known for a collection called "Twelve Unwearable Garments," some of which consisted of pieces of metal with sharp edges. His clothes were worn by Brigitte Bardot and Jane Fonda, among others. Most recently, Rabanne had almost completely withdrawn from his company. According to media reports, the fashion designer died in Brittany near Brest.
