Fashion designer Paco Rabanne has died at age 88
Paco Rabanne has died at age 88 in Portsall, France.
The fashion designer's death was announced on his company's Instagram Friday along with a black and white portrait of him captured in 1999.
"The House of Paco Rabanne wishes to honour our visionary designer and founder who passed away today at the age of 88," the caption read. "Among the most seminal fashion figures of the 20th century, his legacy will remain a constant source of inspiration."
The statement continued, "We are grateful to Monsieur Rabanne for establishing our avant-garde heritage and defining a future of limitless possibilities."
José Manuel Albesa, president of fashion and beauty at Puig, a fashion and fragrance label and Paco Rabanne's parent company, confirmed the news in a statement to several media outlets on Friday, adding, "Paco Rabanne made transgression magnetic. Who else could induce fashionable Parisian women to clamor for dresses made of plastic and metal?"
Rabanne founded his fashion house in 1966 and was best known for his space-age aesthetic. Throughout many of his designs were a mashup of futuristic metallics and lots of shine.
The late designer's debut collection was titled "Manifesto: 12 Unwearable Dresses in Contemporary Materials" and included unique looks created from metal, paper, plaster and other out-of-the-box materials.
He also played a role in creating costumes for Jane Fonda's 1968 film "Barbarella."
After being acquired by Puig in 1987, the designer retired a little over a decade later in 1999.
While Rabanne's business shut down briefly, it was revived in 2011 with creative director Julien Dossena at the helm and several fragrances were launched under the brand.
The fashion house's debut fragrance Calandre, which is still available today, features notes of sandalwood and vetiver as well as rose and bergamot. Other women's fragrances that followed include Lady Million and most recently FAME which has an alluring mix of jasmine, mango and incense. The packaging of the bottle also is a nod to Rabanne's famed designs.
Tributes poured in Friday all over social media with many fans sharing their deepest sentiments for Rabanne.
"One of the nicest humbled designer I was fortunate to meet, hang out and modeled for. Thank you for being you Paco Rabanne, you will be missed dearly," Canadian model Stacey McKenzie commented.
Actress Lindsay Lohan also left condolences in the comments on Friday, commenting with a dove emoji, heart, and praying hands emoji.
Model and influencer Ellen Milgrau posted her own sentiments in the comments section, writing, "rest in peace icon 😢 ❤️."
