FASHION legend Paco Rabanne has died at the age of 88.
The Spanish designer – best known for his metallic ensembles and perfumes – passed away in Portsall, France.
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His death was confirmed on the official Instagram account of the renowned Spanish designer.
It said: “The House of Paco Rabanne wishes to honour our visionary designer and founder who passed away today at the age of 88.
“Among the most seminal fashion figures 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.”
Rabbane, real name Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo, shot to international prominence in the 1960s.
But after retiring in 1999, he withdrew from the limelight and was rarely seen in public.
Rabanne was born in February 1934 in the Basque town of Pasajes, Gipuzkoa province.
His dad, a Republican Colonel, was executed by Francoist troops during the Spanish Civil War.
Rabanne kick-started his career by creating jewellery for Givenchy, Dior and Balenciaga.
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He then founded his own fashion house in 1966 and by 1968 started collaborating with fragrance company Puig.
The same year, a green dress designed by Rabanne was famously worn by Jane Fonda in the sci-fi film Barbarella.
Alongside fellow French designers Pierre Cardin and Andre Courreges, he helped upset the status quo of Paris fashion of the time, earning him the moniker of “enfant terrible”.
Rabanne decided to retire in 1999 and his fashion business lay dormant until it was revived in 2011 by Spanish-based group Puig.
José Manuel Albesa, president of Puig, paid tribute to Rabanne’s “radical, rebellious spirit”.
He said: “Paco Rabanne made transgression magnetic.
“Who else could induce fashionable Parisian women to clamour for dresses made of plastic and metal?
“Who but Paco Rabanne could imagine a fragrance called Calandre – the word means ‘automobile grill,’ you know – and turn it into an icon of modern femininity?
“That radical, rebellious spirit set him apart: There is only one Rabanne.
“With his passing, we are reminded once again of his enormous influence on contemporary fashion, a spirit that lives on in the house that bears his name.”
The chairman of Puig, Marc Puig, said Rabanne was a “major personality in fashion”.
“His was a daring, revolutionary and provocative vision, conveyed through a unique aesthetic,” he said.
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