Paco Rabanne's Impractical & Outrageous Dresses: A Look Back (PHOTOS)

Paco Rabanne's Impractical & Outrageous Dresses: A Look Back (PHOTOS)

French designer Paco Rabanne burst onto the fashion scene in the early '60s with his plastic jewelry but by the end of the decade, the supposed enfant terrible had created a collection of dresses dubbed "the Unwearables," opened his own atelier and dressed Jane Fonda in "Barbarella."

Impracticality seems to be an idea that underlined Rabanne's entire career until his formal retirement in 1999 (although he has done some collaborations and fragrances since) -- his dresses certainly weren't made to sit down in, and one might argue that his birdcage neck brace is just a bit much for the average night on the town. But his over-the-top creations are what won over critics...and us, of course.

Take a look back at Paco's impractical designs:

Jane Fonda as "Barbarella" in 1968

Popular in the Community

Close

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

MORE IN LIFE