Paco Rabanne

A fashion icon of the 20th century

Francisco Rabanne Cuervo, a world-renowned Basque modisto Paco Rabanne, was born in Pasaia (Guipúzcoa) on February 18, 1934. Today, he is known around the world for his profession as a fashion designer, yet he was born within a humble, lowly context with political issues. As a result of the political inclinations of the family, the Rabaneda Cuervo family went into exile in France after their father was shot for being commanding the Republican army.

“My mother, in pain, took my grandmother, my two sisters, my brother and I to the ports of the Pyrenees, to France, which was the only way out of that deadly trap. On foot, with snow and cold temperatures, avoiding air strikes, we managed to cross the border.”

He passed away in the host country (France), where he developed personally and professionally without ever forgetting his hometown, Pasaia.

After studying architecture at the École Nationale Supérieure de Beaux-Arts (Paris), in 1966, he presented his first fashion collection-manifesto “12 impossible dresses”, experimental clothing made of contemporary materials. This work gave him worldwide recognition, making him a referent for many other international designers under the nickname "fashion metallurgical", likewise baptized by the fashion madam Coco Chanel.

A 20th century fashion icon, creator and a symbol of innovation. He broke with every aspect and presented a view ahead of his time, marking the history of fashion as well as the society and aesthetics of the time.

“(...) Thus, likewise, arose in me the project of presenting my own collection of haute couture, within the margins and spirit of the Dadaists; that is, in a gesture of provocation and agitation, with the hope of stirring up its inertia and, perhaps, of promoting more modernity”.

His cutting-edge creations overcame traditional fashion barriers, as they encouraged the use of new materials such as aluminum, rhodöid and paper, which had hitherto been unusual in fashion.

Without leaving behind the sensual character and the feminine, he created new codes for representing women, projecting an image that symbolizes power and divinity.

“(...) My first collection coincided with the birth and flourishing of the Women’s Liberation Movement, (,,,) Dressing women in metal and covering them with coats of mail was, in a way, to make them become the new Joan of Arc, Amazon women, warriors who opposed macho, sexist cowardice”.

 

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In 1965, Rabanne created his own brand, which the designer sold to the Spanish family Puig in 1987. Today, Rabanne’s brand is exploited by the Puig family. The brand has produced several perfumes, starting with “Calandre”, in 1969.

“The woman is no longer a funny doll, painted like a whore to the delight of a warrior man”, he said. Man and woman no longer differ. Defender of an egalitarian society, he promoted, for himself and herself, androgynous perfumes; an idea which is now far from the adds advertising perfumes in his name.

He is an active and multifaceted man who also south new forms of expression outside the world of fashion, working in the fields of painting, sculpture and literature; in addition to collaborating on projects in the world of theatre, he founded the theatre group “Pánico”. In the film industry he has designed costumes for films such as Dos En La Carretera (1967), Casino Royale (1967) or Barbarella (1968).

“There are only two geniuses in Spain, me and Paco Rabanne” - Salvador Dalí used to say.

The two creators and artists were friends and collaborators. The result of this creative relationship can be seen in the documentary film Soft Self-Portrait of Salvador Dalí, narrated by Orson Wells. In addition, Salvador Dalí’s numerous collaborations with the Swiss photographer Jean Clemmer led to a new creative relationship between Rabanne and the photographer, who in 1968 published the photographic work “Nues”. Nude photos with accessories designed by Paco Rabanne.

“Clemmer, Dali and Rabanne defined some of the most revolutionary signs that would transform the cultural landscape of the 1960s. They formed a very influential threesome” – said Laura Whitcomb, who was in charge of assembling the exhibition/commissioner, author of the book Dali: The Paradox of Fashion.

Throughout his life, Rabanne has been awarded several times for his career:

  • 1963 – In the fashion world, the Laurel of the Paris Biennial.
  • 1969 – the Beauty-Industry Award for the design of the bottle of the “Calandre” perfume.
  • In January 1989 – the title of Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honor.
  • In November 1989 – the Official Badge of the Order of Isabel the Catholic.
  • 1990 – The Golden Thimble.
  • In August 1994 – the Gold Medal for Artistic and Cultural Merit, by the Complutense University of Madrid.
  • In May 2001 – King Juan Carlos I awards him the Gold Medal for his Merit in the Fine Arts.