He was a perfume virtuoso: who is Paco Rabanne?

Paco Rabanne, who made his mark in the history of fashion with his futuristic revolution in the 1960s, used unusual materials in clothing, and integrated the concept of space into his designs, died on February 3, 2023. He was only two weeks away from his 89th birthday.

Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo (18 February 1934 – 3 February 2023), more commonly known under the pseudonym of Paco Rabanne was a Spanish fashion designer. Rabanne rose to prominence as an enfant terrible of the fashion world in the 1960s with his use of unconventional materials such as metal and plastic in his clothing, and for his incorporation of futuristic elements in his designs, gaining notoriety for his space-age style.

The social media accounts of the legendary French-Spanish designer's eponymous fashion house, Paco Rabanne, expressed their respect and gratitude for this painful loss, saying, "We are grateful to Monsieur Rabanne for creating our avant-garde heritage and defining a future full of unlimited possibilities." Rabanne, who is both a fashion designer and a perfume virtuoso, was, according to Salvador Dali, "Spain's second genius." Coco Chanel also referred to himself as a "metallurgist" because of the non-standard materials he used in his designs.

Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo was born on February 18, 1934, in the city of Pasaia, in the Basque Country of Spain. His father, a Republican colonel, fought against Franco's army and was killed by the Falangists. Paco was left fatherless at an early age.

Religious grandmother with an atheist mother

Working as a head tailor in the atelier of Spanish fashion designer Cristobal Balenciaga, his mother took her family and business from civil war-torn Spain to Paris, where he worked relentlessly to feed the family. Paco's care in those days rested on the shoulders of his grandmother, who helped his mother as best she could. Years later, Paco Rabanne would recount that the formation of his personality was equally influenced by his mother, a staunch communist, and atheist, and his religious grandmother, who believed in magic. It was his grandmother who gave the designer the nickname Paco (Crow).

Paco Rabanne stepped into the fashion world by shortening his surname in the French style. However, it took a long time for him to establish his own fashion house. In the early 1950s, at the age of 17, he entered the architecture department of the National School of Fine Arts in Paris. He has worked as a fashion illustrator for Women Wear Daily, Dior, and Givenchy to cover his educational expenses. He made shoe sketches for Charles Jourdan. In addition to his fashion collection sketches, he also added accessories and bijouterie design to his works. His knowledge in construction and architecture also came in handy in this field. Paco Rabanne was the first to use rhodoid, a high-quality plastic made from cellulose acetate, in his work. The products became the focus of attention of Dior, Givenchy, Balenciaga, and Elsa Schiaparelli as they were shiny and durable, could take any shape, and had unusually striking appearances. In 1965, when brands collaborating with Paco Rabanne sold 20,000 copies of clothing made from his costume jewelry, Rabanne realized it was time to start his own business.

Manifesto for "Unwearable dress"

Rabanne, who designed his first collection in 1964, made his full-fledged couture show in February 1966, which he called "Manifesto: Twelve Unwearable Dresses Made from Contemporary Materials". In those days, a presentation took place in silence at fashion shows or the presenters made comments explaining what the models were wearing. Rabanne broke new ground by presenting his collection with musical accompaniment and black models. Miniature dresses made of plastic and metal items weighed 10-15 kg each, and they were also in danger of injuring the models, as wire and pliers were used to assemble them instead of the traditional needle thread. Despite everything, the collection achieved its purpose and a real storm broke out that blew the fashion world. His designs were worn by the stars of that period, Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor, and Jane Fonda, both at parties and in the movies they acted in. His 1968 costume for Jane Fonda in 'Barbarella' was voted the sexiest female movie outfit of all time in a 2004 Film Review poll.

Her perfumes also became classics on the first day

In the following years, Paco constantly experimented with new materials (paper, leather, aluminum) and used them in his designs. With chains made of fine wire, their models resembled warriors dressed in armor. Such outfits were in demand among fashionistas of that time, and their colleagues were trying to copy the designer's style. Rabanne is still one of the most referenced designers today. Over time, the collections became more wearable, but the designer's signature on clothing remained recognizable in every way.

In 1967 he founded his own Paco Rabanne fashion house in Paris. The designer, whose stores were gradually opened in many parts of the world, began to spread his fame and vision to the field of perfume creation. He named his first perfume Calandre in 1969. At that time, citrus and sweet feminine scents dominated the fragrance world. Rabanne introduced fragrance lovers a new fragrance with subtle woody cypress notes. His perfumes soon became as popular as his fashion collections. In 1976, the Paco Rabanne brand opened a perfume factory in Chartres. The perfumes of the designer, who created successful scents one after another, are still among the most used as a classic today.

In fact, Paco Rabanne is known as one of the main faces of futuristic fashion, along with two French fashion designers Pierre Cardin and André Courrèges. “Rabanne was the European designer who best embodied the spirit of the 60s, combining sci-fi/futuristic aesthetics with medieval craftsmanship,” says WWD. But the cosmos, both real and mystical, was for Rabanne not just a source of inspiration but a way of life. The designer, who calls himself a prophet and believes in reincarnation, claimed that he was 78,000 years old, knew Jesus Christ and met God three times, and was nicknamed "Wacko Paco" (Crazy Paco) by the fashion world.

“It is important to remain bold, radical. “Creativity must be shocking,” said Paco Rabanne, and became interested in furniture, ready-to-wear and perfume designs in the 1980s, with “extraordinary creators” such as Jean-Paul Gaultier and Thierry Mugler gaining ground in the industry. He retired from public opinion in 1999 and devoted himself entirely to art. In 2010 he was awarded France's highest award, the Légion d'honneur, for his contributions to the fashion world. The Paco Rabanne brand now exists as part of the Spanish luxury group Puig. Since 2013, the brand's collections have been managed by young designer Julien Dossena, who previously worked at Balenciaga. This is an interesting coincidence because, in a sense, Paco Rabanne's career started with his closeness to Cristobal Balenciaga.