Paco Rabanne...THE END

[taz]

today from vogue.co.uk news:

PACO RABANNE CLOSING

PACO RABANNE won't be celebrating its 40th birthday this year with much of a party – according to the latest reports, it won't even be around. Employees at the Paris-based label have been told to look for other jobs ahead of the company's intended 'plan social' – a programme, compulsory by French law, by which employees are awarded financial compensation and first preference to return to their jobs should the closing company get back on track or be bought within two years of closing. Launched in 1966 by the son of an army officer, Paco Rabanne looked like it was about to shut down in the Nineties before its current parent company, the Puig Fashion and Beauty Group, put it back in the fashion frame. Now though, with the house designer Patrick Robinson on his way home to New York, Barcelona-based Puig, which also controls Carolina Herrera and Nina Ricci but counts only 3 per cent of its $1 billion annual sales from its fashion interests, looks like its made its final decision. (June 7 2006, AM)

Dolly Jones

this is so sad, I used to watch this man creations in the old good days along with Emanuel Ungaro, Yves, H. Mori, Louis Feraude & all the others 80's stars...who are to be missed as agreat designers ..well at least to me

 

[Meg]

It's such a shame to see such an amazing house close while celebs continue to get licensing and clothing deals. It's unfortunate that robinson wasn't able to do at rabanne what he did at perry ellis but at least an amazing archive is left behind.

 

[Ianastar]

I didn't know they were even still around, except maybe for thier awful colognes.

Ungaro is doing well with menswear in Department stores like Macy's. In fact I just picked up two Ungaro dress shirts.

 

[Meg]

That would be licensed though. not under the designer themselves. I'm sure the rabanne perfumes/colognes will still continue to sell as they aren't done through the house themselves.

 

[Spacemiu]

Thats really to bad, Patrick Robinson's last 2 collections were very good

 

[Pastry]

i was just going to say, sucks for robinson, it seemed he was on his way

if things were so bad, why did they even stage fashion shows? seems like a waste of money for a struggling company.

 

[Bella Plum]

No, Patrick definitely has done a great job with the last few collections. What a shame to see an amazing house have to close.

 

[JJohnson]

Ugh this is horrible!

 

[Bidwell]

Sad, both for Rabanne and Robinson.

 

[kimair]

man...
first perry ellis, now paco...
patrick robinson can't seem to catch a break...
the saks here carried some of the paco rabanne pieces, and it was very nice...
i was looking forward to seeing the f/w collection in person...

and i agree pastry...
why not just hold small presentations?
it seems those would suit the clothes much better anyway...

 

[nqth]

I don't know how "cosmetic ppl" want to do a fashion bussiness. Maybe for prestige. But it doesn't work for them, neither for the fashion house. Puig or P&G has all the logistic, marketing and producing issues done for cosmetics and perfumes, but not textiles, sewing and such.

Seeing how long Prada was looking for a buyers for JS and HL, I am not surprised why P&G and Puig closed the house, but not selling them.

It's very sad, tho.

 

[softgrey]

thanks for posting the news taz...


so...
perhaps it is as it should be...when the designer retires...the house closes....
i NEVER thought robinson was the right choice to take over for Paco Rabanne anyway...

he might be adorable...and be good at getting press...
but his clothes don't sell and don't make money.....

plus i just don't see anything similar in his aesthetic to that of the design house's namesake...he just doesn't have that hard strong sexy 'edge' that is part of what always defined paco rabanne's collections...

i just hope we don't lose lanvin next......

 

[ultramarine]

this is very scary ... I def hope this trend doesnt pick up .. and as usual ... I totally agree with softgrey ... no one can do it like PR ... still I think its hard to find an audience for this line nowadays ... hum ... so bad it happened right before his bday ...

 

[KhaoticKharma]

Rabanne, Rochas... gone, while Jennifer Lopez and Kimora Lee Simmons continue to sell and be popular.

Thing is, the celeb brands sell because they're affordable. Fashion is really suffering because of the prices these days .

 

[taz]

Rabanne, Rochas... gone, while Jennifer Lopez and Kimora Lee Simmons continue to sell and be popular.

Thing is, the celeb brands sell because they're affordable..

what a horrible truth, that makes me sad too KhaoticKharma .

 

[kus]

i think my glasses are p.r.
but can't be sure.
i hope i get to keep them.
whenever house closes
i eat a veggie dog and drink.

then everything ok.
overpriced, but ok.

crazy fashion veggie dogs.
from the street.
i mean, street,
like street.

done deal.

 

[Mutterlein]

I wonder if it is just a matter with updating, but Paco Rabanne is still on the Paris show calender.

 

[reese06]

Rabanne, Rochas... gone, while Jennifer Lopez and Kimora Lee Simmons continue to sell and be popular.

Don't shoot me for saying this because I also don't respect celebrity lines but the reason they continue to sell is because they are affordable and a lot of times Lopez and Simmons re-create the looks of higher end labels. But it's reality, Rochas was way too expensive even with the amazing construction of their clothing.

 

[fashionandstyle1]

That's too bad because I liked the fall show......

style.com

 

[Mutterlein]

This isn't as much of a loss to me as Rochas was. While in retrospect Rochas' closing seemed to make some sense, this is no surprise AT ALL. I've almost been waiting for the announcement. Robinson's appointment already seemed odd, I remember many comments about how ill fitted the pairing was. His collections did get better over time but were never outstanding. If Rochas had the issues they had even with Theysken's praise, I don't know if Robinson's mediocre collections stood any chance. I'd see some of the clothes occasionally in Vogue or Elle and it always seemed hopeless.

That said I'm dissapointed because he was getting better with every season. But the label should have ended with Rabanne's retirement. Rosemary Rodriguez designed for the house and kept much in the same line with what Rabanne had done. They hired Robinson, I think, to give the label a whole new look and new market potential. It didn't work. I hope he finds a label that fits him. I could totally have seen him at Celine. Too bad.