Celebrated designer Paco Rabanne died at the age of 88 on February 3. The French-Spanish fashion designer was known for his edgy designs having contemporary materials. Rabanne started his career in 1966 and went on to launch one of the biggest clothing and fashion brands in the world.
During his long career, the designer built a successful fashion empire. Along the way, he was able to make a huge fortune for himself. People are now wondering how much wealth did Rabanne make in his illustrious career. Continue reading to find out.
Paco Rabanne Net Worth
As per reports, Paco Rabanne had a net worth of a whopping $28 million (nearly £23 million) at the time of his death in February 2023. Most of these earnings came from his design career, including that of jewelry, clothing, and fragrances.
While Rabanne accumulated massive wealth over the years, such was not the case with him always. The designer had an extremely difficult childhood as his father was a Republican Colonel who was executed during the Spanish Civil War. His mother was a seamstress who shifted to Paris with her family in 1937 owing to the war.
Rabanne then studied architecture at l’École Nationale des Beaux-Arts. To earn money, he started making shoe sketches for Charles Jourdan and fashion sketches for Dior and Givenchy. He then took up a job under Auguste Perret, a concrete manufacturer, and worked in the industry for more than 10 years.
Rabanne Started his Fashion Career in 1966
The designer first ventured into fashion by making jewelry for brands like Balenciaga, Dior, and Givenchy. He then launched his own fashion house, Paco Rabanne, in 1966. The brand became famous for its flamboyant designs and metal couture.Â
His first collection, launched in the same year, was named Manifesto: 12 unwearable dresses in contemporary materials, which included dresses made of sharp metal and paper. Paco said that he wanted to make fashion more accessible to the general public, and hence he chose to design his couture with alternate materials.
The brand was further popularized when Jane Fonda wore its costume in the science-fiction film Barbarella in 1968. Singer-songwriter Françoise Hardy was also said to be a huge fan of the Paco Rabanne designs. Singer Mylène Farmer also wore the brand during her concert tour in 1996.
The Designer Ventured into Fragrances with Puig in 1968
In 1968, Rabanne collaborated with Puig, the acclaimed Spanish fragrance company which started marketing his fragrances. Puig ultimately took over Paco Rabanne and is currently the parent company of the brand.
In 1976, a perfume factory was founded in Chartres, France, by Puig and Rabanne. In 1994, he launched his first fragrance, XS. The brand later launched the fragrances Calandre and Lady Million, which became famous for its colorful gold bottles. The fragrances still hold a strong grip over the market.
Rabanne was also an author and published the controversial books Has the Countdown Begun? Through Darkness to Enlightenment (1994) and Fire From Heaven (1999), where he made some bizarre claims. In 1999, he retired from the fashion industry and started to keep a low profile.
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