Fashion designer Paco Rabanne dies aged 88 

Paco Rabanne, the Spanish-born designer best known for his metallic ensembles and space age designs of the 1960s, has died at the age of 88 in Portsall, Brittany.

The icon, whose real name is Francisco Rabaneda y Cuervo, captured the fashion world in the 1960s with his futuristic looks, with his first collection made entirely of plastics.

He retired in 1999 and has rarely been seen in public since. 

His death was confirmed by a spokesperson for Spanish group Puig, which controls the Paco Rabanne label he exited two decades ago.

José Manuel Albesa, president of Puig’s fashion and beauty division, said: ‘Paco Rabanne made transgression magnetic. Who else could induce fashionable Parisian women to clamor 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.’ 

Rabanne acknowledges applause at the end of his 1999 Spring/Summer haute couture show in Paris

Marc Puig, chairman and chief executive officer of Puig, added: ‘A major personality in fashion, his was a daring, revolutionary and provocative vision, conveyed through a unique aesthetic,.

‘He will remain an important source of inspiration for the Puig fashion and fragrance teams, who continuously work together to express Mr. Paco Rabanne’s radically modern codes. I extend my sincere condolences to his family and to those who have known him.’

This is a breaking news story. More to follow.