Paco Rabanne is a famous French couturier of Basque origin, who created the fashion house of the same name, Paco Rabanne. He entered the history of fashion, first of all, thanks to his avant-garde collections of clothing made from non-traditional materials: metal, paper, plastic, rubber, and so on. Paco Rabanne's talents are diverse - he is not only a brilliant fashion designer, but also a writer, artist, and architect. Known for his charitable activities, in particular, the fight against AIDS, including in Russia.
I strove to create the image of a free, independent, independent woman who was in complete control of her life and finances.
Biography and career
...They should have died there, on the ship. All six of them - he, his mother, grandmother and three more children. But shortly before departure, little Francisco raised a cry and began to pull the adults back to shore. Two sisters and a brother joined in the heartbreaking crying. Obeying an unaccountable feeling, the mother picked up the little ones in her arms and rushed to the gangway. The rest could hardly keep up, making their way through the crowd.
The liner set sail, and immediately the sky darkened with Messerschmitts. Bombs fell, the ship caught fire and sank. Those who jumped into the water, trying to swim to the nearest shore, were finished off with machine guns. The last hope of hundreds and hundreds of refugees, the ship turned into their last refuge.
Fate gave them a reprieve. Not for long. Franco's dogs have already executed his father, a Republican general, and they will not spare his family either. This is, firstly. Secondly, they were subject to execution because the mother was a member of the Central Committee of the Spanish Communist Party. But even if the first and second had not existed, they would still have been destroyed. For being Basque.
Brakes squeal! “They're already in town! Hurry, jump into the back before all the roads are blocked!!” “Glory to Thee, Lord!” - Grandma crossed herself. And the mother firmly shook hands with her party comrade. A few minutes later, the truck was briskly dusting towards the French border, carrying them away from danger. Five-year-old Francisco was destined to live a long and colorful life...
Basking between two fires
On February 18, 1934, the ancient land of the Basques gave the world an amazing child - Francisco Rabaneda y Cuervo. His grandmother was a healer and fortuneteller, known far beyond the borders of her native Pasakhes. She treated with herbs and occult methods. That, however, did not prevent her from being a believer and pious. Helping the old healer, the clever grandson adopted part of her knowledge.
“Pako (crow, Greek), the time will come, and you will learn the power of the stone and the secrets of the herbs. Signs left by those long gone will be revealed to you...” The raven, the grandmother said, is the patron saint of their family. Cuervo is Spanish and means "raven".
The gray-haired sorceress’s speeches were intoxicating, like smoke from a shaman’s fire... but the mother’s casually thrown phrase was sobering, like a bucket of cold water: “Opium for the people! What football, what religion is yours! Go get busy." She worked at Balenciaga, sewing around the clock, so the housekeeping fell on the shoulders of the children.
True, the mother had nothing against drawing - and little Francisco drew. What came out was reminiscent of the world in which the boy grew up: black and white, material and spiritual. United, indivisible and eternally contradicting each other. Later, the drawings will help him enter the National School of Arts, the Faculty of Architecture.
Hand of the Father of Nations
Moscow... Mother often talked about her. In 1950, as a comrade of Dolores Ibárruri and the widow of a Red general, she was honored with a reception by Stalin himself. She was allowed to take her son with her.
Francisco knew nothing about repressions and the Gulag. Here he is, the Father of Nations - great, wise, fair... But why are his eyes the eyes of a demon?! Why is his hand on the back of his head so heavy and cold?? The young man left the Kremlin in a semi-fainting state.
Early creativity
Students go to such lengths to try to get money for food! Francisco had an easier time - on the recommendation of his mother, he was hired to work at the Fashion House of Cristobal Balenciaga. Having taken the young talent under its wing, the company did not lose anything: the belts, bags, and other accessories he made quickly found buyers; He knew how to turn even a simple button into something eye-catching.
But the true hobby of the young Rabaneda was jewelry. Thanks to him, the fashion world heard the ringing word “rhodoid”. The plastic we were used to then, in the early 60s, was exotic. Lightweight, inexpensive designer rhodoid jewelry has become a hit among young people.
When orders began to arrive from Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent and Dior, it became clear that the name of the architect Francisco Rabaneda would never be heard. But on everyone’s lips was the name of a promising designer - Paco Rabanne.
Goodbye templates!
Unwearable. Unwearable - that’s what he called his first collection of a dozen dresses. In the annotation for the show there was a phrase that did not clarify much: “clothes made from modern materials.” But the public, knowing the author’s penchant for shocking behavior, flocked to the hall.
Music greeted the visitors. This was already unusual - hitherto fashion shows were accompanied only by comments.
Under the frantic, provoking rhythms of Pierre Boulet, they fluttered onto the podium - slender, barefoot, sparkling with dazzling smiles... Dark-skinned. Every single one. Innovation? Yes. And at the same time – a forced step. The fact is that the dresses presented were truly impossible to wear. Plates, rings and other structures made of metal and plastic lay perfectly on the figure - when this very figure was motionless. When moving, their edges dug into the body, causing pain and leaving terrible bruises. White-skinned models refused to participate in the fashion show in horror! The daughters of Africa turned out to be much more patient. And, besides, bruises are not visible on dark skin...
If the girls had read Bulgakov, they would have remembered Margarita at Woland’s ball - how she kindly smiled at the guests, exhausted in her tormenting outfit... But the cheerful mulatto girls never opened The Master and Margarita, and therefore did not compare themselves with anyone. They just kept dancing.
Shock. Storm of indignation. Journalists leaving the hall in protest. One of the ladies felt sick - she still saw scratches on the girl’s skin... “This is not a couturier, this is a metallurgist. Locksmith!!” – Madame Chanel grabbed her head.
However, after cooling down a little, the audience realized: yes, this is it! That daring beginning that was so lacking in the respectable world of fashion. Paco Rabanne became everyone's favorite - this is how a tomboy, finding himself in the company of well-bred kids, becomes the ringleader.
In the same 1966, the restless fashion designer demonstrated a collection of dresses made of... paper. Something ephemeral, momentary - as a counterbalance to the “eternal” metal. Thus, with the light hand of Paco Rabanne, the concept of disposable clothing was born.
Paper dresses Flight of the Raven: Gaining Altitude
The “enfant terrible of Parisian fashion” did not remain homeless for long. In 1967, a Paco Rabanne boutique opened in the capital. Nearby, in the semi-basement floor, there was a workshop, from where the blows of a hammer and the hum of a blowtorch could be heard: the couturier-mechanic was sculpting another product.
Only brave women dared to dress by Paco Rabanne. And strong. Literally, physically - his dress could weigh 10, 15, or more kilograms. However, fashionistas not only wore these weighty outfits, but also danced dashingly in them at discos, sending bunnies flying across the walls. Speaking of bunnies: it seems that all the movie stars tried on the famous dress, consisting of hundreds and hundreds of small round mirrors.
Mirror dress Jules Verne haute couture, Raban experimented with the boldness of a true engineer. They used laser discs and door handles, disposable cups, rubber, minerals, wire and everything else that came into his field of vision. Ancient warriors and cyborg women walked along the podium. Either translucent inhabitants of the depths, or suddenly - creatures of other worlds, beautiful and inaccessible, bristling with thorns...
Playfully, the master invented something that has the right to take a place in the golden fund of light industry. Knitted fur, for example. Or shiny yarn, the so-called “aluminum jersey”. By the way: the couturier does not use real fur as a matter of principle. He is a convinced vegetarian.
And only the basis of fundamental fashion—fabric—remained his stepdaughter. Fabric did not play first or even second fiddle in his creations. She was allowed to serve as a link between metal and leather, glass and plastic. Or be a lining. Looking ahead: “smart” fabrics of the 21st century bring the maestro into genuine delight! No wonder he always called himself a man from the future.
From different collections Over time, clothes from Paco Rabanne became quite “wearable” and no longer injured their owners. And at the same time it acquired an even more futuristic design. The design and assembly techniques were, to put it mildly, non-trivial - lectures on architectural design and thermomech made themselves felt.
As they say, filmmakers have their eyes on his work. First there were “Two on the Road” and Les poneuttes (1967), but “Barbarella” (1968), a fantasy in the genre of, as they would now say, an erotic thriller, brought real fame. The couturier created costumes for another 35 films. Plus - dozens of theater and ballet productions.
Stills from the films “Two for the Road” and “Barbarella” Brigitte Bardot and Ursula Andress, Mylene Farmer, Elizabeth Taylor, Sylvie Vartan and the already mentioned above Barbarella, that is, Jane Fonda, shone in his outfits (and also rustled, rang, rustled and strummed). Françoise Hardy, actress and astrologer, was his devoted fan.
Paco Rabanne created the dresses with his own hands. Some were born in a matter of hours, while others had to be worked on for months, laboring over soldering and holography. There are relatively few of them, copyright ones, a little more than three thousand. Each one is unique and worthy of becoming a museum exhibit. This is where you can see them - in museums in Paris, Tokyo, Beijing and New York.
Everything he once created continues to attract extraordinary individuals, like a magnet (by the way, the master also has magnets in his arsenal). A striking example of this is Patricia Kaas and Lady Gaga.
Language of smells
...The crown of the huge tree trembled and went down. Faster and faster, cutting the air with branches with a whistle... Impact!! Well, the job is done, you can rest. The man leaned on the ax handle, wiped away the sweat and then noticed under his feet... An orchid? The lumberjack was not good at botany. Without thinking twice, he picked a flower and took it to the hut where his young wife was busy.
This simple story was told by... perfume. Once causing a lot of buzz, Pour Homme has a little-known feature - it is able to adapt to a person's individual scent, working in tandem. It was preceded by the female Calandre, conveying the pulse of the big city; The word “autolady” was not known in 1969, but Calandre was just for her.
The history of Paco Rabanne fragrances is rich in hits. It so happens that they are mostly male: the passionate XS, which gives goosebumps (to the opposite sex), 1 Million for the successful, Ultraviolet for those who feel at home in virtual reality. However, the “excellent” options that appeared a little later are in no way inferior to the “strong” ones.
In his declining years, the master lost interest in haute couture, and in 1999 he completely left the House of the same name, handing over the business to young, energetic, and no less inventive successors. The latest shows are eloquent: the work of the Great Fashion Provocateur is alive and well.
Manish Arora for Paco Rabanne Not by fashion alone
"Continue!" - said Salvador Dali, seeing his drawings. And Raban continued. Secretly from everyone. The secret became clear in 2006, when an exhibition of the artist opened in Moscow. Why Russia? Apparently, what I experienced in childhood took its toll. And, besides, as the hot Spaniard admitted, he admires the beauty of Russian women. And then I noticed: beauty, both physical and mental.
The soul, its secrets, the heights and abysses through which it sometimes wanders... Paco Rabanne’s books are dedicated to this, to date there are five of them. Including such a bestseller as “Trajectory” (1991), and the no less sensational “The End of Times” (Fin des temps, 1994). “Ariadne’s Thread”, released in 2005, closes the cycle. Those who are not averse to wandering into the labyrinths of esotericism will be happy to read them all.
Awards
People love those who give strong emotions. The brilliant Basque was showered with a generous stream of awards. He received his first, Beauty Products Industry, in 1969 for Calandre. The famous Pour Homme won the Fragrance Foundation Recognition Award in 1974. Then there were the Golden Needle and the Golden Thimble, the Order of Isabella the Catholic (Spain's highest award), and the French Legion of Honor. In 2001, the maestro accepted the Gold Medal “For Achievement in Art” from the hands of Juan Carlos, King of Spain. And, as a final note, the National Fashion Design Award (2010).
People attack those who disturb them. As soon as they didn’t call him! A scandalous man, a craftsman and (see above) a provocateur. A charlatan and a would-be soothsayer (the Mir station did not collapse on Paris, what a disappointment!), and many, many more unflattering epithets. From this rich assortment, the ironic couturier chose the title of artisan. And he proudly repeats that, yes, he is a Craftsman. From God.
Personal life. His family is World
Time has bleached his blue-black hair, like a raven's wing. Soon, he says, I will be on the road again. Again - because he remembers all his past lives. Over 78 thousand years there were many, many of them...
The descendant of the Crow family never created a family. So what? Women loved him, he loved them. Is this not enough? And he also loved (and loves) Genesis itself. And he finds the strength and means to help those who feel bad. Help, not talk about help. Now, not later. He publishes art magazines at his own expense and opens cultural centers in Third World countries. A certain percentage of the sales of Paco Rabanne perfumes goes to the AIDS Foundation. And when the tragedy happened in Beslan, the artist created a painting dedicated to it. And he transfers all the money from the sale of sketches to mothers who lost their children back then.
For a person of this magnitude, our entire planet is family.
From an interview
Metal is often found in your collections; you have created many dresses made of metal. Why do you like this particular material so much?
P: I love light, reflection, glare. In addition, now we are in the era of Aquarius, the era of light, I think metal, like no other material, is relevant right now. It is also a symbol of a female warrior, both ancient and modern.
Do you have any restrictions?
P: It's very simple. My mother, who loved fashion, always told me: “You are free in everything, except for one thing: you cannot encroach on the beauty of a woman.” A woman is a miracle, a temptation, a fashion designer has no right to make fun of her. Even using metal, paper and other materials, I did everything to make the woman beautiful, like a goddess. That's my only limitation.
In which area does your creativity reveal itself more fully: in fashion or perfumery?
P: First of all, in fashion. But fragrances are a very important addition to clothing, affecting a person's sense of smell. For thirty years now I have been trying to make sure that my perfumes and my clothing collections are interconnected.
You are already many years old. What is the secret of your energy?
P: Smile and work. I never pretend, I am who I am. Death doesn't scare me. It is simply a transition from one astral state to another. Even when I turn a hundred years old, I will be young, because at heart I am still fifteen.
What are you doing now?
Finally, I had time for numerous hobbies - drawing, creating interiors, furniture, household utensils. And of course, books. I have written eight books in total.
What do you think is the future of high fashion?
P: It seems to me that high fashion is dying, just like the noble families for whom all these magnificent outfits were created are dying out. When I entered the world of high fashion, in 1965, there were thirty couturiers, now there are only seven. But even they are not able to sell everything they create. They are being replaced by cheap, uniform clothing, simple and identical, often made in China; at best, ready-to-wear collections.
What advice do you have for young designers?
P: A person who starts his career in the fashion business today must be prepared to face enormous competition. You need nerves of steel, because you will constantly be compared with other designers. You need to create something completely new, defend your point of view, prove that you are a real creator. Do not copy under any circumstances. It should be your own closed world. I think these tips are suitable not only for young fashion designers, but for all creative people.
Today Paco Rabanne, one of the most famous and influential couturiers of our time, celebrates his birthday. With a story about what the main futurist of the fashion world told us new, the editors of the Moscow 24 portal continue a series of publications about outstanding fashion figures, begun with material about Christian Dior.
Francisco Rabaneda y Cuervo was born in the Basque Country on February 18, 1934. His father was shot by Franco's supporters during the Spanish Civil War, after which Francisco's mother, a committed communist, moved with her children and mother to France. Mother and grandmother had a huge influence on the future couturier, who combined the qualities and beliefs of each of them in his life and work.
Paco Rabanne was raised by two opposites. On the one hand, his grandmother, who introduced her grandson to the spiritualistic world of nature, esoteric and Christian symbols, on the other hand, a Marxist mother, strong and strong-willed. Her image, apparently, formed the imaginary type of woman for whom the couturier subsequently created his outfits - an intelligent, charming woman of the future, superior to a man in everything.
In 1952, Francisco began studying architecture at the National School of Fine Arts. At that time, his mother worked in the fashion house of another legendary Spaniard - Cristobal Balenciaga. To earn extra money, Francisco began creating accessories and decorative clothing items for the fashion house, and soon began collaborating with Christian Dior, Nina Ricci, Pierre Cardin and Givenchy, using new artificial materials in his work, as well as metal (In the future, it will become one of the main materials designer). But first he would change his name - shortening Francisco Rabaneda y Cuervo to simply Frank Raban, and by 1965 truncate "Frank" to its diminutive form - Paco.
And so it happened - in February 1966, Paco Rabanne presented his first manifesto collection. It bore the eccentric title “Twelve Dresses Made from Modern Materials That Cannot Be Weared.” Indeed: models appeared on the catwalk in dresses made of metal and plastic, completely covered with plates and wire. Futuristic chain mail for the newly-minted Amazons acted as a fresh wind that burst into the world of boring and strict fashion of that time. The second collection was presented two months later at the Crazy Horse cabaret. During the reign of glass and metal in architecture, sculpture and industrial design, Raban was the first to think of dressing a woman in metal. His experiments did not end there: having worked with metal, the designer presented a collection of disposable clothes made of paper, and in 1967 he founded his own fashion house, Paco Rabanne, in Paris. His dresses and accessories made of plastic and metal, leather, corrugated paper, dried flowers and ostrich feathers created a real sensation. Raban's experiments with new materials continued for decades. So, in 1988, he worked on a collection of dresses made of plexiglass, laser discs and holographic fiber. Following the latest developments, he always believed in the materials of the future.
Video: YouTube/British Pathé
Paco Rabanne returned to Moscow more than once, but 2005 was special for him, when the couturier first presented the world with an exhibition of his paintings, choosing the Russian capital for this. Having previously shown the drawings only in the 70s to his friend Salvador Dali, he wanted to show them to the world before he “disappeared from the face of the earth forever.” Raban believes that his earthly journey is completed. He remembers all his earthly reincarnations and is sure that this is the last. He even wrote several books about his spiritual searches and discoveries. The last of them is “Ariadne’s Thread. The art of reading the signs of fate” was also published in Russian. Raban the writer talks in his books about nature and intuition, God and dreams, about signs and symbols that guide a person through life.
Having dressed Françoise Hardy, Brigitte Bardot, Audrey Hepburn and Mylène Farmer, Paco Rabanne left his fashion house in 1999, forever going down in fashion history as the main futurist couturier of the 20th century.
Innovations by Paco Rabanne:
He was the first to use musical accompaniment in fashion shows. He introduced modern materials into fashion, actively using metal, plastic, feathers and dried flowers when creating his costumes. He brought black models to the catwalk. He created the image of a woman of the future, inspired by feminism and most clearly embodied by Jane Fonda in Roger Vadim’s film “Barbarella”. Already in our time, Barbarella, dressed by Raban, was recognized as the sexiest heroine of a science fiction film.
As Daria Nelson, a photographer and retro model, said, “The French have always been distinguished by their revolutionary character and desire to turn the world upside down.” “Especially when it comes to fashion. After a decade of chic and elegance, when post-war France had finally recovered from the post-war shock and women could again afford to look elegant, the time had come for truly shocking and revolutionary ideas. “As if out of nowhere, three French couturiers appear on the fashion scene, who are now considered the founders of 60s fashion: Andre Courege, Pierre Cardin and Paco Rabanne,” she said.
According to her, he then successfully applied the knowledge Raban acquired while studying at the National School of Fine Arts to create his dresses from paper, plastic, rhodoid and metal (by the way, thanks to the latter, Mademoiselle Chanel received the funny nickname “metallurgist” from the master’s shoulder). .
“Why is Paco Rabanne considered the enfant terrible of the 1960s? There are many reasons for this,” adds Nelson. “Of course, because it was this designer who was the first to use musical accompaniment during fashion shows, which until then took place in silence under the monotonous reading of numbers outfits. Also, it was he (yes, he, and not Yves Saint Laurent, as is commonly believed) who was the first to invite a dark-skinned fashion model to take part in his show, which created a shock and provoked a scandal in the press. Just look at the one he created in 1973. "The men's perfume Paco Rabanne pour Homme, which became a real breakthrough in perfumery and has been driving many women crazy for more than forty years."
Details Created July 20, 2014 Author: Lyubov FartushnayaCreating the style of the future, he broke all the rules that exist in the fashion world. How would dresses made of metal plates appear differently? Or barefoot models on fashionable catwalks? And the catwalks were not always in the classical sense of the word - sometimes the shows took place in the Crazy Horse variety show. And all because Paco Rabana created his eponymous brand for strong individuals who can and challenge society, and the couturier helped to do this beautifully and with ease.
Paco Raban is the pseudonym of Francis Rabaneda y Cuerve. To make it easier to remember such a complex name, “Paco” was invented, which in Spanish means “raven” - a wise bird and the patron of his family. The future designer was born in Italy in the small town of San Sebastian on February 18, 1934. He began his path to creativity at the age of 18, joining the National School of Fine Arts. It was at that time that Paco began working part-time at the Balenciaga fashion house, creating jewelry and other accessories. Soon such fashion figures as Dior, Givenchy, and Yves Saint Laurent also began to collaborate with the novice designer.
In 1966, the new Paco Rabanne brand announced itself with a collection of women's clothing. The couturier killed the audience by releasing on the catwalk “12 dresses made from modern materials that are impossible to wear” - this is how fashion critics responded to this show. The dresses were “sewn” from plastic and metal! But not only this surprised the visitors: for the first time in history, black models appeared on the catwalk, and they walked to the music, which no one had ever done before. The name Paco Rabanne has conquered its pinnacle in the fashion world. And not only fashion, but also art - Salvador Dali was delighted with the young designer: extraordinary personalities feel each other.
The experiments do not end with metal, and the following year Paco created outfits made of paper, which he considered futuristic. In the same year, the fashion house Paco Rabanne appeared in Paris. The first presentation of the house were “cast” dresses, which were made from metal parts precisely adjusted to the shape of models. Soon, knitted fur is added to metal pieces such as aluminum jersey. Imagination is a resource that the designer used in unlimited quantities, and thanks to which Paco’s clothes looked feminine, but at the same time combined cosmic motifs mixed with “office” styles.
In 1968, Paco became part of the cinema - he became a costume designer for the film Barbarella with the participation of Jane Fonda.
With each subsequent year, not only the popularity of the Paco Rabanne brand grew, but also the couturier’s innovation in creating outfits. In 1988, holographic fiber, plexiglass and laser discs were used to create outfits. This allowed the author of the collection to play with light during the show. Despite the unusual materials, Paco created comfortable and completely wearable clothes.
But the multifaceted Paco Rabanne found it boring to create only clothes, and in addition to his space-futuristic world of clothing, he created another one - the world of fragrance. His perfumes are as unusual and extraordinary as all the creations of this genius. The first line of scents was released in 1969 and began with “Calandre”. She conquered the hearts and smell buds of many connoisseurs of beauty. A bold scent like XS (ExcessPourHomme) is one of the most popular men's perfumes.
In 2000, Paco Rabanne decided to step away from the fashion industry. But Paco Rabanne's fashion house continued to release new collections. Unfortunately, they no longer had the same success, and in 2006 the brand ceased operations.
Fortunately, today Paco Rabanne has resumed its activities with renewed vigor, thanks to Manish Arora, who is known for experimenting with materials, shapes, prints and colors of outfits. His main goal of working at the Paco Fashion House is to preserve the brand’s style features, but at the same time bring his own innovation.
Corporate identity by Paco Rabanne
In an interview for MarieClaire magazine (France), Paco said: “Women of the future, strong, skillful, charming, will definitely be superior to men. I create my fashion for such women.” At that time, feminism was just gaining momentum, but the designer had already prophesied that a woman did not want to be the weaker sex. And he offered dresses made of metal materials, and not only, which sometimes weighed 10-15 kg. Women, wanting to show their true strength, gladly wore clothes that resembled the armor of knights. Floating in them like butterflies, either on dates, or to parties, or along the red carpet of world-famous events, they certainly did not complain about the lack of attention. No fashion house has ever offered such an extraordinary solution for outfits.
The famous fashionista, Coco Chanel, teased the young Paco Rabanne for his love for unusual materials for clothing. She called him a mechanic, since he often used pliers, a hammer and other tools rather than a needle. But he wasn’t offended; is it really possible to be offended by such a fashion master as Chanel? She recognized him as a designer - this is more important than any praise.
What is the Paco Rabanne brand? This is a classic skirt with handles not just made of metal, but from a flush chain from an antique toilet; these are dresses made from buttons, bottles and even laser discs! Self-irony and audacity - this is all Paco. It's no use joking about him! Even the most inveterate skeptics have stopped doing this. For what? Just enjoy the art of design.
Although the outfits from Paco Rabanne look very heavy, extraordinary and exotic, they are surprisingly comfortable. Paco, being an architect by training, designed his clothes so that they fit like a glove. It was the same with his scents. The first perfume from Raban, the women's "Calandre", despite its inconsistency with the classical canons of perfumery, merged with the skin, and the general image of a woman together. The contents of the bottle always corresponded to its outer shell. While fragrances were being created in the laboratories, Paco created sketches of clothes for these perfumes: thin and delicate “XS” in a bottle for a lighter, unisex “Paco” in an “outfit” made of recycled metal, which became a bestseller, sensitive “Ultraviolet” in a bottle similar to flying saucer.
Paco and his unusual ideas that excite common sense have received high awards more than once. They testify to the recognition of his art and views on fashion throughout the world. For many years, Raban's creations occupied pride of place in the best museums in New York, Tokyo, and, of course, Paris.
As always with you, I... Lyubov Fartushnaya, image designer, fashion industry expert, PhD and just a woman....
The fashion designer is known all over the world. In fact, the great fashion designer's name is Francisco Rabanerro Querro.
Paco Rabanne: biography
An eccentric mystic, revolutionary and even a little futurist - Paco Rabanne stepped forward several decades and brought the future into fashion. The fashion designer has always been somewhere outside of fashion. While everyone was striving for graceful forms and playing with airy fabrics, he experimented and shocked.
Fashion connoisseurs had no idea to what extent they wanted to see out-of-the-ordinary outfits in their wardrobe until they encountered the shocking collections of Paco Rabanne.
His clothes did not have to correspond to the high taste of French fashionistas, but nevertheless they quickly spread through their wardrobes.
Paco Rabanne: career
No chiffon, silk or jersey: Paco Rabanne preferred vinyl, metal and discs. It was he who invented knitted fur and began to create fantasy outfits of the future - an unprecedented phenomenon in the global fashion industry.
It seemed that someday the fantasy should end, but it did not dry out and each time the designer produced collections that sold at incredible speed.
His generally recognized talent and imagination were awarded the Golden Thimble, Golden Needle, and Fashion Honors awards. He also received the Spanish Order of Isabella and the French Legion of Honor.
The roots of his unusual and contradictory character probably lie in his family. The fashion designer was born in Spain in 1934. My grandmother was a deeply religious person who kept occult secrets, my mother, on the contrary, was an atheist and a member of the socialist party, and my father was a real general. Francisco's mother ran her own atelier, so her love for sewing was inherited. Later the family emigrated to the USSR, and a few years later moved to France. The talented Francisco, with his subtle artistic taste, easily entered the School of Fine Arts in Paris. He studied to be an architect, but throughout his school years he designed and sewed bags, shoes, and created various accessories, thereby earning a living.
After graduation, he received a diploma, but did not become an architect and connected his life with fashion. Although the influence of education can be seen in the unusual constructive forms of Paco Rabanne’s collections.
The student’s unusual ideas and undoubted talent attracted the attention of great masters. After leaving school he studied with Balenciaga, Givenchy and Dior.
Having gained experience, he began working independently in the 60s. At that time, architecture was filled with a new fashion trend - the use of plastic and metal. Of course, Francisco always followed trends in the field of architecture and was inspired by these ideas.
Paco Rabanne: new ideas
Inspired by new research, Paco Rabanne released his first collection in 1966. The Parisian public was shocked. The revolutionary, if not scandalous, outfits that his models showed caused a lot of noise. Although, a little later, fashion connoisseurs realized that this was exactly what they were missing in those turbulent years.
Rough metal, combined with the finest lace, chain mail, aluminum and leather, feathers - all this began to appear on the bodies of famous people, famous for their good taste.
Continuing his quest, Paco Rabanne embarked on a grand experiment and created a collection of disposable paper dresses.
Soon his fancy outfits began to appear on characters in Hollywood films.
Even the great Coco Chanel recognized his talent and called him a couturier-fitter, for his love for unusually strong materials.
Paco Rabanne himself always considered himself a fashion designer of the future. His unique styles included metallic lace, chains, bright colors, ribbons, paper, gemstones, cut leather held together with metal rings and more.
The outrageous fashion designer always wanted to shock the audience, not seduce. And he achieved it.
In the late 60s, Paco Rabanne released the “Calandre” perfume, intended for dynamic and energetic ladies. Of course, the design of the bottle was unusual: it had an automotive theme. A little later, a line of perfumes for men appeared. A bold, passionate and completely unique scent quickly found fans.
Paco Rabanne: businessman
In addition to his brilliant talent, Paco Rabanne had the skills of a businessman and advertiser. His boutiques operated all over the world and won the hearts of fashionistas from all continents.
The fashion designer opened cultural centers, wrote books and published a magazine.
Despite the enormity of his career, in 1999 he left the fashion industry and left Paris. Perhaps the reason for this was his incorrect prediction: Paco Rabanne predicted a disaster that would happen in the capital on the day of the solar eclipse in August 1999. When the prophecy did not come true, journalists attacked the fashion designer and his name often appeared on the front pages of newspapers, but this time not with admiring comments. 16 February 2010, 12:46
Francisco Rabanerro Querro (Francisco Rabaneda-Cuervo) was born in San S:) Stian (Spain) on February 18, 1934. However, today he is known under the name Paco Rabanne. In Spanish, “Paco” translates to “raven.” The fashion designer changed the name given by his parents and shortened his surname to make it easier to pronounce. 
As a child, when Franco came to power in Spain, Paco's family was forced to emigrate to the USSR. A few years later they moved to France, where in 1952 Paco entered the National School of Fine Arts (Paris) majoring in architecture. Already during his studies, Rabanne began creating shoes, bags and jewelry for French fashion designers. He worked for the House of Balenciaga and then for Hubert de Givenchy. However, he gained his most significant experience at the Christian Dior Fashion House. The designer demonstrated his first haute couture collection in 1966, which he called “12 experimental and unwearable models made from modern materials.” The designer tried to make maximum use of plastic and metal, which were the most popular at that time. The collection was received ambiguously, but thanks to the revolutionary aesthetics of the 60s, which favored the development of everything new and unusual, it was nevertheless accepted by the fashion community as a result of new realities in fashion. Subsequently, the designer began to attract even more attention through the laces he invented made of fabric and metal, antenna hats, chain mail made of metal, paper dresses and various combinations of plastic, leather and aluminum. In 1967, Paco Rabanne founded his own fashion house in Paris. In 1968, in addition to a collection that included aluminum jerseys, the designer created costumes for the film “Barbarella.” The following year, Paco presented his first fragrance, “Calandre,” which was named after the car. For this perfume, Paco Rabanne was awarded the “Beauty Products Industry” prize. “Paco Rabanne Pour Home” appeared in ’73, “Metal” appeared in ’79, and “La Nuit” appeared in ’85. 
At the First International Fashion Festival in 1985, the fashion designer was awarded the “Honours of Fashion” prize. In 1986, Paco Rabanne created his new fragrance “Sport” and only two years later - “Tenere”. 
In 1988, the designer created a collection of dresses, sewing which he used laser discs. His meetings became increasingly eccentric. Paco began to use holographic fabric and organic glass. In 1989, the fashion designer created his first women's collection of the “Prêt-a-Porter” class, and a year later the men’s collection. This year, the fashion designer was awarded Spain's highest award, the Order of Isabella the Catholic, and received the title of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in France. In 1990, Paco Rabanne was awarded the Golden Thimble award for a collection in which he used metal threads and records, as well as vinyl. This approach to creating models is “standard” for couturiers. After all, it was he who invented the aluminum knitwear. In 1991, Paco Rabanne published his first book entitled “Trajectory”, and the next year a new creation “The End of Times” appeared. In 1993, he created his most popular perfume for men, “XS” (Excess Pour Homme). In 1994, Paco again published a new book, “The Present: The Road of the Initiates” (Le Temps Present: le chemin des grand inities). 
In 2000, the fashion designer announced his retirement from the world of High Fashion due to the fact that it was unprofitable. In 2001, a retrospective exhibition of the designer’s works was held in Burgos (Spain). In the same year, King Juan Carlos of Spain awarded the fashion designer a gold medal “For Achievements in Fine Arts.” 
In addition to fashion, Paco Rabanne is engaged in painting and graphics. In 2005, he presented an exhibition of his works at the Central House of Artists in Moscow. The following year, his graphics were seen in Tolyatti, Samara, Kazan, Sochi, Novosibirsk and St. Petersburg. 
Dress assembled
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