Paco Rabanne

Paco Rabanne, perhaps best known for his costume design of the film Barbarella, embodied the spirit of the 1960's: a time when the glamour of the old world gave way to the innovation and experimentation that would define a generation.

Born in 1934 in San Sebastian Spain as Francisco Rananeda Cuervo, he fled Spain for France with his mother after the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. Originally known as one of the enfant terrible of Paris fashion, he began his career making jewelery for Givenchy, Dior, and Balenciaga. However, in 1966, he branched out into his own line.

Founding his own house, Paco Rabanne sought to revolutionize fashion through his innovative use of materials. By adopting materials that strayed from non-traditional textiles, he was able to create designs that had not yet been realize din the fashion world. He notes his interest in nontraditional materials as rising out of his interest in architecture. His first collection included dresses made from cardboard, metal, rhodoid, and traditional textiles. Although his initial designs featured metal plates that were reminiscent of ancient armour, he adapted this design to more complicated patters of smaller plates. His primary focus was to capture light in his designs. Since his beginning, he has been integral in innovating new, non-traditional materials into the fashion world.

Another major focus of Paco Rabanne was his innovation into perfume. His first perfume Calandre premiered in 1969 in a bottle circled in metal. His fragrances, including Paco Rabanne pour Homme, Sport, and Paco were all innovative for the time. Most of his fragrances are a combination of wood scents that complement a style of clothing that is ahead of its time.

Since his noted first line, he created a line of disposable paper clothing that was sold in envelopes in 1966. After 34 years of innovation, Paco Rabanne shut down the Haute Couture line that had made him a staple of the fashion to focus on his Paco line of unisex ready-to-wear clothing. It is rumoured that Rabanne will return to the runway in 2009.

Primarily active in the 1960's, Rabanne revolutionized fashion with his fragrances. However, he will always be remembered for his innovative use of non-standard fashion materials and a haute couture that remains unmatched.