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Couture 1960s PacoRabanneParis HandPainted MadeInFrance SilkChiffon Pareo Dress

Name: Couture 1960s PacoRabanneParis HandPainted MadeInFrance SilkChiffon Pareo Dress
Brand: Paco Rabanne
Price: 7000 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

In the 1960s the futurist Paris-based revolutionary haute-couture designers included Andre Courreges, Pierre Cardin and Paco Rabanne, who was the last to died in the 21st Century in 2023 and whose coveted fashions now star in the new American-retro series "Palm Royale" that dramatizes Palm Beach society. Certainly for a mid-century fashion maven, Rabanne created this couture asymmetrical muted-multicolor abstract image for a hand-painted silk chiffon rectangular oversized cape or pareo dress, whose delicate material is in exceptionally good condition as if never worn. The bordered and striped pattern on this transparent textural delphos-like open gown as worn by our mannequin is a timeless design that reflects the linear and peek-a-boo characteristics of his famous chain-linked plastic and metal dresses that were first created near the end of the 1960s. The floaty lightweight wrap is also hand-printed with the designer's early signature "paco rabanne PARIS". Significantly, the tiny production-origin tag remains attached indicating "Made in France 100% Soie Peint Main", while incidentally silk chiffon was first made in France. With edges hand rolled and tightly stitched to retain the minuscule weave, the border is a painterly rosy brown color. In one of our fabric closeups including the border, notice some of the slightly overlapping colors carefully painted on the reflective white scarf. When held up to dim sunlight, all of the colors including black stripes seem to disappear on the finest quality of French crepe silk. After fleeing the Spanish Civil War with his mother in 1939 since his father was executed, by the 1950s in Paris, Paco Rabanne (a.k.a. Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo 1934-2023) was making fashion sketches for couture houses for their accessory designs including bags, shoes, jewelry and scarves since attending l'Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts where he studied architecture. He subsequently worked for French architect Auguste Perret for more than a decade until Rabanne debuted his progressive eponymous fashion brand in 1966. His initial interest in couture was sparked by his mother, who had been a chief seamstress for Spanish couturier Cristobal Balenciaga while they still lived in their native country. No doubt Rabanne's architectural education led to his linear concrete-block-like construction of fashion with often unconventional materials. In 2005 in Moscow when he was 72 years old, Rabanne was given his first exhibition of drawings, which he was quoted to have shown only to artist Salvador Dali decades earlier. Given his love of drawing and admiration of Dali's paintings, it is possible that Rabanne hand-painted this early couture pareo himself.

Designer:

Paco Rabanne

Brand:

Paco Rabanne

Dimensions:

Width: 43 in (109.22 cm)Length: 45 in (114.3 cm)

Style:

abstract art (In the Style Of)

Place of Origin:

France

Period:

1960-1969

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use.

Seller Location:

Chicago, IL

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU3244221632302

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Shop All Paco Rabanne

Paco Rabanne

Visionary designer Paco Rabanne first made a name for himself in the 1960s when he introduced dresses, handbags and other clothing and accessories that went against the common sensibilities of the time and challenged the public's perception of what fashion should be. By working with unlikely materials such as paper and Rhodoid — a cellulose acetate plastic often used to line baking pans — Rabanne forced the fashion world to reconsider materials and form.

Rabanne was born Francisco Rabaneda y Cuervo in Spain’s Basque region. His mother was the head seamstress at Balenciaga when she relocated herself and her son to France in 1939 to escape the Spanish Civil War. Once in France, he took on the name Paco Rabanne.

Rabanne studied architecture at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris but pivoted toward fashion and began to design accessories and costume jewelry. Rabanne collaborated with many acclaimed luxury houses — his early clients included Charles Jourdan, Givenchy, Pierre Cardin and Dior.

By 1966, Rabanne was working on avant-garde designs in his own newly-opened studio. He introduced a couture collection titled “Twelve Unwearable Dresses in Contemporary Materials.” The garments — made of aluminum, plastic and eco-friendly paper and fastened with wire — were unveiled at a show that featured music and models of color (both uncommon characteristics for such an event). Sculptural, sexy and solidly Space Age in appearance, Rabanne’s experiments turned heads. Pop star-actresses Brigitte Bardot and Françoise Hardy would soon be seen in the designer’s iconic metallic dresses, and Rabanne found enthusiasts in the likes of revolutionary couturier Elsa Schiaparelli and art collector Peggy Guggenheim. In 1968 Rabanne designed leather boots and erotically charged dresses made of molded plastic and chain-mail mesh for the science fiction film Barbarella.

Rabanne called Salvador Dalí a close friend and drew on the Surrealist movement in his designs. He continued to use unconventional materials in his work. From aluminum jersey and fur to ostrich feathers and Velcro, everything was suitable for his pioneering garments. And Rabanne’s talents are diverse — his prolific output even includes stylish furniture.

In 1999 Rabanne retired from the fashion business. In 2010 he was named Officer of the Legion d’Honneur by the French culture minister. Today, under the creative direction of French designer Julien Dossena, the Paco Rabanne brand continues to innovate and offer looks that nod to the past as well as the future.

Find vintage Paco Rabanne clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.