The Impossible Network

050: Roberto Rabanne - The Photographer of Icons Imagining a Better Future

Nov 18, 2019

53:47

Born in Panama, raised in Brooklyn from age 13, a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, a self taught photographer who’s captured iconic images of music, art and fashion for over 5 decades, is this week’s guest Roberto Rabanne.

In part one of this 2 part interview Roberto recounts the experience of growing up in a racially charged 1960’s Brooklyn, his self-directed education and passion for reading, the impact of his mother and aunt, and how his early exposure to Motown and the Beat culture led him to embrace photography as his preferred form of self expression.

Roberto discusses the experience of being at the heart of documenting the 1960’s counter-cultural movement and the writers, artists and musicians he worked with. We also explore the commonalities of the movement with what we are experiencing with the emerging environmental movement and youth leaders like Greta Thunberg.

We also discuss how his curiosity for people lead him to photograph musicians from the Grateful Dead, Dylan, Janice Joplin, Jim Morrison, Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Run DMC, The Beastie Boys, Amy Winehouse, Sade, and Gaga. In fact he’s the only photographer to have shot all members of the 27 Club - those iconic and groundbreaking musicians who died at the age of 27.

Finally in Part One Roberto explains how his career pivoted into fashion when a serendipitous encounter led him to working for the legendary Alex Liberman of Conde Nast.

I hope you enjoy the humor, eloquence, generosity of spirit and expansive vision of Roberto Rabanne.

Thanks to previous guest Alessandro Armillotta for the recommendation and connection.

What we discuss