Paco Rabanne did not have the easiest of upbringings, experiencing the impact of bombing during the Spanish civil war, having been born in San Sebastian in the Basque Country.
His family, who were republican, ended up in exile in France. Fashion and clothes were in his blood thanks to his mother who was a chief seamstress for Balenciaga before they fled to France.
Through to the mid-1960s he sold sketches to and was given encouragement by the likes of Cardin, Balenciaga, and Givenchy. Gerard Pipart also gave him some styles to embroider.
With the help of his family Paco made buttons with leather, precious stones and even coffee beans stuck to Rhodoid and painted.
His first fragrance appeared in 1973 – called Paco Rabanne pour homme. Then in 1975 XS Pour Elle was released – a scent with a floral feel.
In 1996 "Paco", a unisex fragrance, was released, with a recyclable metal bottle. Two years after this came "Paco Energy" and then a perfume for women, "Ultraviolet" appeared a year after that. This was then followed by an "Ultraviolet" for men in 2001. |
