Innovative space-age style guru

FELLOW designers panned his “out-of-this-world” creations but actresses such as Brigitte Bardot, Audrey Hepburn and Jane Fonda loved the work of Spanish fashion visionary Paco Rabanne. Although he lived frugally in Paris, his scent Pour Homme became a global bestseller, earning him a fortune.

Born Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo in northern Spain, his father was executed while fighting in the Spanish Civil War.

His mother, a professional seamstress, took Paco and his three siblings to live in France, and he grew up in Brittany.

Years spent studying architecture brought out his artistic talents which he put to use working on jewellery ranges for Givenchy and Dior, and he was celebrated for producing eccentric large buttons.

Rabanne’s imagination ran riot when he formed his own fashion house in Paris in 1966, making dresses from materials including wood and metal, with chain mailstyle designs to hold them together.