Spanish fashion designer Paco Rabanne passes away at 88

 Celebrated fashion and perfume designer, Paco Rabanne passed away in France at the age of 88.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a US-based entertainment portal, his death was confirmed by the Spanish group Puig, which controls the Paco Rabanne fashion house and fragrance business.

"Paco Rabanne made transgression magnetic. Who else could induce fashionable Parisian women to clamor for dresses made of plastic and metal? Who but Paco Rabanne could imagine a fragrance called Calandre -- the word means 'automobile grill,' you know -- and turn it into an icon of modern femininity?" said Jose Manuel Albesa, president of Puig's fashion and beauty division, reported The Hollywood Reporter.

"That radical, rebellious spirit set him apart: There is only one Rabanne. With his passing, we are reminded once again of his enormous influence on contemporary fashion, a spirit that lives on in the house that bears his name," he continued.

Best known for his metallic ensembles, Rabanne presented his first collection in 1966 using plastics. The debut collection, entitled '12 Unwearable Dresses in Contemporary Materials,' enraged the French fashion press while putting Rabanne on the map and setting the course for his design future, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

His designs soon became favourites among stars and models and he also designed costumes for Jane Fonda in Roger Vadim's 1968 cult film 'Barbarella'.

Apart from that, he also designed costumes in Roberto Enrico's 'The Last Adventure' and Joel Le Moigne's 'Les Ponyettes'.

According to Deadline, a US-based entertainment news outlet, Rabanne retired in 1999 but his mothballed label was revived by Spanish company Puig in 2011, which relaunched it as a fashion house and fragrance business that it now controls.

"The House of Paco Rabanne wishes to honour our visionary designer and founder who passed away today at the age of 88," the company said in a statement posted on its website, reported Deadline.