Pierre Cardin

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For the Canadian Minister of Transport from 1940 to 1942, see Pierre Cardin (politician).
Pierre Cardin (Pietro Cardin)
Born July 7, 1922 (1922-07-07) (age 85)
Zenson di Piave, Italy,
Nationality French
Labels Pierre Cardin
Pierre Cardin dress, 1967
Pierre Cardin dress, 1967

Pierre Cardin is a fashion designer, who was born on July 7, 1922, near Venice, Italy.

Cardin was known for his avant-garde style and his space age designs. He prefers geometric shapes and motifs, often ignoring the female form. He advanced into unisex fashions, sometimes experimental, and not always practical. He introduced the "bubble dress" in 1954.

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[edit] Career

He moved to Paris in 1945. There, he studied architecture and worked with Jeanne Paquin after the war. Work with Elsa Schiaparelli followed until he became head of Christian Dior's tailleure atelier in 1947, but was denied work at Balenciaga. He founded his own house in 1950 and began with haute couture in 1953.

Cardin was the first couturier to turn to Japan as a high fashion market when he travelled there in 1959.

In 1959, he was expelled from the Chambre Syndicale for launching a ready-to-wear collection for the Printemps department store as the first couturier in Paris, but was soon reinstated. However, he resigned from the Chambre Syndicale in 1966 and now shows his collections in his own venue, the Espace Cardin (opened 1971) in Paris, formerly the Théâtre des Ambassadeurs, near the American Embassy. The Espace Cardin is also used to promote new artistic talents, like theater ensembles, musicians and others.

Cardin expanded into other markets that included a contract with American Motors (AMC) following the success of the Aldo Gucci designed Hornet Sportabout station wagon interiors. The automaker incorporated Cardin's daring and outlandish design for an interior available on the 1972 and 1973 AMC Javelins. A total of 4,152 cars received a bold mirrored multi-colored pleated stripe pattern in tones of Chinese red, plum, white, and silver set against a black background. This was one of the first few American cars to offer a special trim package created by a famous fashion designer. The Cardin Javelins also came with the designer's emblems on the front fenders and had a limited selection of exterior colors to coordinate with the special interiors.[1]

His fellow designer, Andrè Oliver, who joined him in 1971 and assumed responsibility for the haute couture collections in 1987, died in 1993.

Cardin was a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture et du Prêt-à-Porter and of the Maison du Haute Couture from 1953 to 1993. Like many other designers today, Cardin decided in 1994 to show his collection only to a small circle of selected clients and journalists.

[edit] Other interests

He purchased Maxim's restaurants in 1981 and soon opened branches in New York, London, and Beijing (1983). A chain of Maxim's Hotels are now included in the assets. Cardin has also licenced a wide range of food products under that name.

Cardin owns the ruins of the castle in Lacoste, Vaucluse that was formerly inhabited by the Marquis de Sade. He has partially renovated the site and regularly organizes theatre festivals there.

In 2003, Cardin invited the award-winning Chechen children's dance ensemble Lovzar to dance in his musical show "Tristan and Isolde", which recently performed in Moscow.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Foster, Patrick. "Pierre Cardin Meets the Javelin" Hemming's Classic Car Magazine, #31, April 2007.

[edit] External links

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