Perfume and fashion designer Paco Rabanne dies aged 88

Image: Youtube

The famed designer died at his home in France aged 88, the announcement came from Puig, the holding company of his brands. They stated: he had "marked generations with his radical vision of fashion and his legacy will live on."

Rabanne gained fame for his eccentric and at times controversial clothing designs. His famous fragrances such as Lady Million are still one of the most popular in the industry. He was one of the first fragrance designers to launch his products online in the mid-1990s.

Arguably, his debut collection, 12 unwearable dresses in Contemporary Materials, caused controversy with the French fashion press after models were seen wearing materials such as sharp metals.

Rabanne began his career when he attended L'Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts as an architecture student and earned money drawing fashion sketches.

He then spent a short time working as a concrete manufacturer before he began designing jewellery for Givenchy, Dior and Balenciaga.

He eventually launched his fashion house in 1966 which began his widely celebrated career. He retired from the fashion industry in 1999 and has kept his life mostly private over the next 24 years.