"
L'enfant terrible " (terrible child) of French haute couture, the great designer
Paco Rabanne died yesterday (3), leaving behind an immeasurable legacy for the fashion world. His fearlessness in
experimenting with unconventional materials and applications , which earned him the infamous nickname, contributed permanently to the culture and values of the 1960s, the same decade in which he launched his own eponymous company.
Originally from Spain,
Francisco de Rabanne da Cuervo (abbreviated as “Paco”) fled to Paris with his mother during the Spanish Civil War. It was there that he studied architecture and fell in love with the world of fashion, especially when he began
creating jewelry for some from the most famous fashion houses, including Givenchy, Dior and Balenciaga.
The designer of "impossibles"
An innovator, Paco
challenged what was understood as design at the time by introducing concepts such as 3D printing and, more recently, NFTs into the textile universe. Paper dresses and plastic accessories, for example, constitute the first wave of his extravagant career as a designer, which began in 1966, which later led him to declare himself as a "craftsman" rather than a designer.
Later, he would give free rein to his
artisanal tendencies by sewing, with just his own hands and a few pliers, all the dresses in his "Rodeo" collection. Made of leather and joined together with metal rings, the designer used the technique that height was already part of the DNA of his brand, just adding materials like feathers or aluminum.
Rabanne's revolution in contemporary times
In memory of the 'twelve useless dresses', Paco Rabanne has entered the world of NFTs, taking the
concept of 'useless' even more literally. Uniting the past, present and future, the brand has created
12 NFT dresses based on some of its most highly regarded designs of the last seven decades. Owners of the NFTs will receive an exclusive invitation to visit the label’s atelier in Paris, where
Julien Dossena , the brand’s creative director, and the French artisans who created the original pieces will collaborate to create a bespoke physical piece from the NFT archive. Owners will also receive a
VIP invitation to the next Paco Rabanne fashion show as a special guest of the
maison . The brand’s entry into NFTs continues Paco Rabanne’s legacy of innovation and pioneering in the design world. By experimenting with materials and pushing the boundaries of design, Paco has proven time and time again that we are far from exploring the full limits of this universe. in expansion that is design.
