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Farewell to genius who made Barbarella dazzle

Fashion and cologne giant dies aged 88

By Jack Newman

PACO Rabanne, best known for his perfume and cologne empire, has died aged 88 in France.

He first made his name as a fashion designer when his 1966 debut show in Paris brought immediate fame and notoriety as he stunned the audience with ‘12 Unwearable Dresses’ – models dancing barefoot down the catwalk in outfits made of sharp metal.

The use of such materials led to him being dubbed ‘the metal worker’ by Coco Chanel. Rabanne’s stardom reached further heights when in 1968 he designed the green Barbarella outfit worn by Jane Fonda.

The designer, real name Francisco Rabaneda y Cuervo, also dressed Audrey Hepburn and Mia Farrow.

In 2011, he famously created outfits entirely made of paper for Lady Gaga’s appearance at the MTV Europe Music Awards.

Rabanne’s career may have begun in fashion houses but his name would soon become synonymous with cologne, ultimately even eclipsing his fame as a designer.

His first male fragrance, Paco Rabanne Pour Homme, was released in 1973.

It was considered a trailblazer in the industry and has retained its popularity

Born in 1934, Rabanne’s father was a republican colonel who was a commander of the Guernica garrison who was shot dead by Franco’s troops.

His mother worked as the chief seamstress at Cristobal Balenciaga’s first fashion house in Spain before moving the family to Paris. The young Rabanne sketched for Dior and Givenchy alongside his architecture degree, and then worked in the construction for ten years. But his passion for design remained and in 1966 he launched his brand. Two years later, Rabanne signed a deal with the Puig family, heavyweights in the fashion and fragrance industry.

The designer was known to be eccentric and claimed to have lived multiple lives, including being a Parisian prostitute during the reign of Louis XV and Tutankhamun’s killer.

He also believed he was 78,000 years old, had met God, been visited by aliens, and had sex with the Earth. This, unsurprisingly, led to the nickname ‘Wacko Paco’.

HAPPY VALLEY FINALE

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2023-02-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-02-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

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