Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo, – the French designer born in Spain, best known as Paco Rabanne, who revolutionized the fashion industry with his futuristic designs and perfumes – has passed away. He was 88 years old.
Although he officially retired in 1999, the brand he founded and which bears his pseudonym remains alive. (It is now owned by the Spanish conglomerate Puig.) The news of his death was announced on his official Instagram account.
“The House of Paco Rabanne wishes to pay tribute to our visionary designer and founder, who passed away today at the age of 88,” the brand wrote on Instagram. “Among the most seminal figures in fashion of the 20th century, his legacy will remain a constant source of inspiration. We are grateful to Monsieur Rabanne for establishing our avant-garde heritage and defining a future of limitless possibilities.”
Rabanne started in the jewelry sector, working for brands like Givenchy, Dior, and Balenciaga, eventually opening his own eponymous brand in 1966. Nicknamed “Wacko Paco,” he gained fame for his eccentric designs and soon became synonymous with the Space Age aesthetic. The metallic dresses and shiny bags he created are still favorites among his fans today. He also had a talent for fragrances: his first perfume, Calandre, debuted in 1969 and remains a signature of the brand; Paco Rabanne Pour Homme, in turn, has been a bestseller since 1973. But the fragrance One Million is undoubtedly the favorite among Brazilians.