Paco Rabanne, Calandre, 30 ml. or 1 oz. Parfum Extrait, 1969, Paris, France ..

Rabanne was born on 18 February 1934 in the Spanish Basque town of Pasaia, Gipuzkoa province. His father, a Republican Colonel, was executed by Francoist troops during the Spanish Civil War. Rabanne's mother was a chief seamstress at Cristóbal Balenciaga's first couture house in San Sebastián, Basque Country, and in 1939, when he was aged 5, they escaped the civil war by fleeing to France where he assumed the name "Paco Rabanne". In the mid-1950s Paris, while studying architecture at l'École Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Rabanne earned money making fashion sketches for Dior and Givenchy, and shoe sketches for Charles Jourdan.

After studying architecture, he revolutionized 1960s "Space Age" fashion by utilising unconventional materials like metal, plastic, and paper in his Manifesto Collection. The brand remains globally renowned for its avant-garde designs and legendary fragrance line. His futuristic aesthetic gained massive fame when he designed the iconic green and metal costumes for Jane Fonda in the 1968 sci-fi film Barbarella.

In 1968, he partnered with Spanish beauty and fashion company Puig, releasing his first perfume, Calandre, in the US. The fragrance business quickly grew to fund the house's operations, eventually leading Puig to acquire the entire brand in 1986. From 1966 to 1999, the house produced haute couture. Today, operating simply as Rabanne, the fashion house continues to build its legacy with designer Olivier Rousteing joining as Creative Director to bridge futuristic metallic heritage with modern, body-conscious tailoring

In 1969, Monsieur Rabanne broke new ground with La Maison's first fragrance, Calandre .. a fresh, metallic rose inspired by a liberating adventure in a vintage car, presented in an architectural bottle made of metal and glass. The name Calandre refers to the grille of an automobile, as the perfume was designed to embody the independence and modernity of the active woman. It is highly regarded for its unique "metallic rose" profile, masterfully blended by perfumer Michel Hy.

Michael Hy of Givaudan-Roure .. formerly Roure Bertrand Dupont .. created Paco Rabanne’s Calandre. Rabanne envisioned a shocking, avant-garde perfume that encapsulated the moment of making love in a car in a forest in spring. However, there were difficulties in creating a metallic scent that Rabanne wanted.

Both the design of the bottle and the name was inspired by a Rolls-Royce radiator with its grille. Pierre Dinand created the bottle using a plastic known as ABS to create a frame with a groove that held the bottle. Rabanne thought that calandre .. French for radiator grille .. perfectly symbolised the mobility and independence of contemporary women, and captured the essence of all his ideas.

Today, it remains a beloved classic with a crisp, green, and slightly powdery character that can be worn year-round.

Top Notes areAldehydes and Bergamot
Heart Notes are White Rose, Geranium, Hyacinth, and Lily of the Valley
Base Notes are Sandalwood, Vetiver, Oak Moss, Musk, and Amber

Offered here is an absolutely pristine bottle of this lovely iconic fragrance. Never used and without evaporation, it comes in its original presentation box ..

Getting rarer to find now .. Lovely!!