<ul> <li><a href="http://www.pacorabanne.com/francais/acc-histoire.htm">L'HISTOIRE</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.pacorabanne.com/francais/acc-mode.htm">LA MODE</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.pacorabanne.com/francais/acc-parfum.htm">LES PARFUMS</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.puig.com">GROUPE PUIG</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.pacorabanne.com/francais/acc-interactif.htm">INTERACTIF</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.pacorabanne.com/francais/acc-contact.htm">CONTACT</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.paco.com">ACCES PRESSE</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.pacorabanne.com/info.htm">Mentions légales</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.pacorabanne.com/anglais/acc-histoire.htm">HISTORY</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.pacorabanne.com/anglais/acc-mode.htm">FASHION</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.pacorabanne.com/anglais/acc-parfum.htm">PERFUMES</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.puig.com">GROUP PUIG</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.pacorabanne.com/anglais/acc-interactif.htm">INTERACTIVE</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.pacorabanne.com/anglais/acc-contact.htm">CONTACT</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.paco.com">PRESS</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.pacorabanne.com/info.htm">Legal information</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.aragorn.fr">ARAGORN</a></li> </ul> <p>On the 18th February 1934, in San Sebastian, a town in the Spanish Basque region, a child was born who was to lead a highly eventful life. </p> <p><h1>The formative years</h1><br /> His childhood, marked by the Spanish Civil War, was spent between a deeply religious grandmother, possessor by tradition of nature's secrets and responsive to the occult sciences, a mother, who was an important figure in the Spanish socialist party and a resolute atheist, and a father, who died prematurely for not having renounced his republican beliefs. The war and this family environment gave the young Paco Rabanne the qualities which were to form his personality and help him along his journey through life : tolerance, a conviction that there are many facets to reality, generosity, a care for others, and an openness to the world. </p> <p>As a refugee in France from the age of five, Paco Rabanne pursued a branch of studies which was to lead him, in 1952, to the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts, where he opted for architecture. His teachers advised him to gain a good knowledge of his times if he was to become a good architect, and, to this end, to visit numerous museums, to watch films and plays, not to forget music, and to meet artists and intellectuals. Paco Rabanne listened, learnt, and laid a cultural foundation for himself. Drawn by what he refers to as the "double look", this look which he fashioned, Paco Rabanne has always been interested in objects and their reason for being. </p> <p>At an early stage, in order to finance his architectural studies, he produced fashion accessories; this was a milieu with which he was familiar, since, in Spain, his mother was chief assistant at Balenciaga. He designed and manufactured handbags, jewellery and belts for fashion designers, and he met Cristobal Balenciaga, Hubert de Givenchy, Jacques Griffe, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, to name but a few.</p> <p><h1>The 1960s: the discovery of modernity</h1><br /> At the same time, in the early '60s, the arts underwent a tremendous upheaval. "Optical Art" and "Cinetic Art" came into vogue. Architects moved their attention away from stone in favour of metal; at the hand of Martial Raysse; painting focused its attention on neon; Sotto's wire sculptures were greeted with acclaim; Quassar's plastic furniture became fashionable. These revolutions, and with fashion designers drawing their inspiration through a critical and meticulous sense of observation, infused Paco Rabanne with a desire to create an Haute Couture collection.</p> <p>Thus, in February 1966, Paco Rabanne presented "twelve experimental dresses which could be produced in contemporary materials", i.e. in plastic and metal, assembled together using a pair of pliers and a blowlamp in place of needles and scissors. In a spirit inherited from Dada, Paco Rabanne wanted to create a fashion which broke with tradition, one which he displayed using black models who, for the first time, danced on the podium, to the beat of Pierre Boulez's "Marteau sans Maître". This spectacular collection caused a scandal, though it also gained recognition for a new fashion designer in Paris.</p> <p><h1>A hands-on approach with the focus on innovation</h1><br /> "I am an architect by training, so I only like pure lines". Paco Rabanne is constantly searching for new materials: plastic for the first collection ; then leather in winter 1966; metal in 1967, for which he became the watchword; and, finally, a mixture of fabric and metal. His heavy rigid steel sheets, cut and assembled, from the early creative years developed rapidly into a flexible form: the coat of mail and the light, airy, wire woven lace of today.</p> <p>In 1966, Paco Rabanne created paper dresses, for day and evening wear, which were sold in small bags, marking the birth of disposable clothing. Furthermore, he was also the innovator of the first "moulded" clothing, in 1967; the knitted fur, in 1968; and the aluminium jersey, in the same year. He used laser disks for his 1988 dresses. The structure and shape do not change dramatically, but instead they adapt themselves to changes in the lives of women: "the shapes change when the hand movements of the times change. Today, women have to constantly change identity and therefore clothing. During the day, in the metro, they wear clothes for a faster life style. In the evening, in their private lives, their clothes are more feminine and brighter". With regard to colours, they are taking on increasing importance with the start of the '90s.</p> <p><h1>The foray into the world of fragrance to create a global range</h1><br /> <p>With the Spanish group Puig as his partner, Paco Rabanne very soon launched himself into another adventure: the world of perfume. In 1969, he caused a sensation with his first: "Calandre", which was designed for women leading active lives. Using the name of a car, a bottle drawing inspiration from New York architecture, with a metal rim, and causing a revolution in extracts, since it came at a time when lemon featured among all ingredients, Paco Rabanne choose a background hint of cypress. This innovative mixture, with a touch of woodland tree tops and hearts in bloom, was an immediate and undeniable success.</p> <p>Then there appeared "Paco Rabanne pour Homme" and his toiletries lines in 1973, the first aromatic fern fragrance combining flowery and woody tones exerts an influence on the men's fragrance industry. Reassuringly sturdy, the first completely tinted glass bottle with the first snap top conveys the masculine image he is keen to promote. "Métal" in 1979, "La Nuit" in 1985, "Sport" and its toiletries variations in 1986, and "Ténéré" in 1988. In 1993, "XS" (Excess pour homme) was launched : a fragrance of the '90s, for a Man at once desirable, bold and sensuous. This new fragrance is already ranking among the best-sellers in men's toiletries. New women's fragrances, with a character as distinctive as the fashion of the couturier, are being prepared for the near future. Furthermore, in the field of cosmetics, Paco Rabanne asserted his innovator spirit when, in 1984, he launched the first complete skin care line designed specially for men, under the name of "Soin pour Homme". </p> <p>Summer 1990 sees the birth of the women's ready-to-wear range, available in the left-bank boutique at 83 Rue des Saints Pères in Paris.</p> <p><h1>International renown</h1><br /> Since his beginnings in fashion design, Paco Rabanne has continued to surprise, seduce and glean honours: the dress exhibition at the Pavillon Français of the "International Exhibition" in Montreal; a fashion show at the "International Conference of American Architects" in 1966; the "Tibère d'Or" in Capri in 1967; the "Milan Triennal", and the "Body Covering Exhibition" at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York, where he represented France in 1968; the "Beauty Products Industry" prize for "Calandre" in 1969; the "Osaka Fair" in 1970; an Oscar from "The Fragrance Foundation Recognition Award" for the extract and the packaging of "Paco Rabanne pour Homme" in 1974 and for XS pour Homme in 1994. </p> <p>The "L'Aiguille d'Or", for his Haute Couture collection in 1977, and the "Hommage de la Mode" prize were awarded on the occasion of the first International Fashion Festival in 1985; and in 1990, he received the "Dé d'Or", the highest distinction in Haute Couture. In 1992, Paco Rabanne was bestowed the special honour of introducing a retrospect show of his creations before the King and Queen of Spain and selected VIP's, on occasion of the Universal Exhibition which took place in Seville. In 1993, Paco Rabanne is asked to present his latest collections in Miami (U.S.A.) and, in 1994, a retrospective of his creations is held in Berlin and the Baltic States. For a great number of years, his creations have been represented in the major museums of the world (New York, Tokyo, Paris, etc.). A recent auction of the most significant designs from his thirty years as a couturier is a huge success at the Drouot-Montaigne auction house in Paris (June 1994).</p> <p>In recognition of his talent and for his active contribution to numerous humanitarian projects, Paco Rabanne was awarded the highest honorary distinction in Spain ("Officer of the Order of Isabelle the Catholic", in 1989) and in France, in the same year, that of "Chevalier of the Legion of Honour".</p> <p><h1>Charisma and new ideas</h1><br /> With his passion for culture, Paco Rabanne has always invested in this field; he has opened cultural centres, published a magazine, provided costumes for the actors in the films "Casino Royal", "Barbarella", "The Adventurers" etc. and for stars (Ursula Andress, Jane Fonda, Françoise Hardy, Brigitte Bardot, Audrey Hepburn,Dee Dee Bridgewater, Sylvie Vartan, Patricia Kaas, Latoya Jackson, etc.) founded a production company, introduced France to African and West Indian music, etc. </p> <p>His first book "Trajectory" appeared in 1991 (published by Michel Lafon and press pocket under "J'ai lu"); it is a work in which he asserts his deepest convictions with enthusiasm and sincerity. This first triumphant best seller (more than 500 000 copies sold), was soon to be followed by a second one (both books were translated into five languages) : "The end of Times" in which he encourages mankind to introspection, moral elevation and care for others. In 1994, Paco Rabanne wrote a sequel to his two precedent books with "Le Temps Présent : Le chemin des grands initiés", a personal guide to face our changing age with serenity and lucidity. The huge audience of his trilogy gave Paco Rabanne the stature of a master thinker and led Michel Lafon to create a collection "Toute la sagesse du monde" based on interviews with Paco Rabanne and the main spiritual authorities of the planet. The first volume of this collection, devoted to Bokar Rimpoché, Tibetan Buddhist master, appeared on the 18th October 1995, and is entitled "Les lumières du bouddhisme".</p> <p><h1>Tough choices on the eve of the third millennium</h1><br /> For Paco Rabanne, 1999 has been a decisive year. First, there was a book, "Fire from Heaven" (Le Feu du ciel), published by Michel Lafon, expressing his vision of our world, its disasters first of all, then its capacity to reconstruct itself. A pessimistic vision for some, but in his view, a vision that opens up possibilities for humanity. </p> <p>Now there is a perfume, ULTRAVIOLET; his spirit ever aware, Paco Rabanne now sees women taking charge of their own destiny. Body and spirit, finally pacified, now express themselves in ULTRAVIOLET, a ray of spirituality and the colour of femininity. Resolutely new in its fragrance, ULTRAVIOLET plays on the congeniality of opposites, and their combativeness as well: the fresh chilli pepper subtly gives way to the velvety Osmanthus from Japan (Kinmokusei), backed by the sensuality of eternal amber, all this enclosed in a purple sphere you press to receive its wafts of fragrance. A new gesture, a new behaviour pattern. Light, strength, sensuality and intelligence: the four pillars of ULTRAVIOLET, the olfactory portrait of the Third Millennium woman. Ready-to-wear is the buzzword of the day. Rosemary Rodriguez joins forces with Paco Rabanne, creating collections in harmony with a global range which is to become more streamlined and more rationalised. Together they take a fresh look at the research done since the foundation of the fashion house and rethink it for the new millennium. The keynotes are style, character and respect for women. Several of the studio's handmade designs form a new 'Couture' range. Their work revolves around the materials and the lines reflect the priorities of a modern woman who is determined, elegant, self-assured and confidently versatile, a woman who is forging a new relationship with the world, with nature and with others. </p> <p>Finally, 1999 was also a year of farewell to Haute Couture. Fashion Design as he conceived it, an idea of women to which he gave birth: free, captivating and never an object; now in full possession of herself, she will successfully express her independence in matters of dress. A farewell that will leave him free, like the new millennium, to set out on fresh adventures...<br /> In 2001, he creates ULTRAVIOLET MAN for a new generation of men at home with new technologies and on the lookout for new olfactory sensations that are both real and virtual, dangerous and unsettling. An object that radiates fragrance and dynamism, Ultraviolet Man is fresh and woody with base notes of ambergris.</p> <p>At the same time, Rosemary Rodriguez reinterprets kinetic prints for the summer ready-to-wear collection and pictures a contemporary horsewoman sheathed in black heightened by red accents for the winter. </p> <p>An exhibition retraces the main phases of his career in Burgos, Spain. It spotlights films from the 1960s, dresses and outfits fashioned from pieces of metal, the look and the atmosphere he loves. The King of Spain does him the honour of awarding him with the Medalla de Oro de las Bellas Artes (Gold Medal for Fine Arts) at a ceremony in the Royal Palace of El Pardo on 29 May 2001.</p>