Fashion designer Paco Rabanne, best known for his futuristic creations and best-selling perfumes, has died at the age of 88.
News of his death was confirmed on his brand's official Instagram account, which shared a black and white photo of its founder to share the news with fans.
The caption read: "The House of Paco Rabanne wishes to honour our visionary designer and founder who passed away today at the age of 88.
"Among the most seminal fashion figures of the 20th century, his legacy will remain a constant source of inspiration. We are grateful to Monsieur Rabanne for establishing our avant-garde heritage and defining a future of limitless possibilities."
According to reports from WWD, Rabanne - who was born in Spain - died in Portsall, France, with Spanish group Puig confirming the news of his death.
José Manuel Albesa, president of Puig's fashion and beauty division, which controls the Paco Rabanne fragrance business and fashion house, said in a statement: "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?
"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."
Marc Puig, the company's chairman and CEO added: "I am deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Paco Rabanne. The history of Puig and Paco Rabanne began in the late 1960s with the launch of Calandre, the perfume created soon after the designer released '12 Unwearable Dresses in Contemporary Materials.'
"A major personality in fashion, his was a daring, revolutionary, and provocative vision, conveyed through a unique aesthetic. He will remain an important source of inspiration for the Puig fashion and fragrance teams, who continuously work together to express Mr. Paco Rabanne’s radically modern codes. I extend my sincere condolences to his family and to those who have known him."
Rabanne found fame in the 1960s as a designer, but has maintained a low profile since retiring from the fashion world in 1999, rarely being seen in public.
His perfume and fashion empire has continued to flourish after being revived by Puig in 2011, with Julien Dossena leading the house since 2013.
Known for his metallic designs, Rabanne made waves with his first collection in 1966, which was made out of plastics and dubbed the '12 Unwearable Dresses in Contemporary Materials'.
While the French fashion press was enraged by the concept, it put Rabanne on the map in the US, leading him to dress some of the biggest figures of the 1960s, including Jane Fonda, Audrey Hepburn and Mia Farrow among others.
Outside of his fashion interests, Rabanne was also heavily involved with astrology and described himself as "a bit of a medium, a clairvoyant."
He claimed to friends in the 1970s that he had "always believed in magic" since the age of eight, and felt like he was put on this earth to "foresee the Third World War".
Rabanne also claimed his best-selling Black XS perfume's recipe was inspired by a mythic witches' brew and was inspired by an argument with a phantom.
Our thoughts are with Paco Rabanne's friends and family at this time.