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On 6th July, 1922, Pierre Cardin was born in San
Biagio di Callalta, outside Venice while his French parents, a
wine-maker and his wife were living in Italy. They returned to France
soon after. Their son, who was in school at the time, became fascinated
simultaneously by costume design and architecture. In 1936 at 14, he
was already a clothier's apprentice, learning the basics of fashion
design and construction.
In
1939 at 17, he left home to work for a tailor in Vichy, where he began
making suits for women. During the war, he worked in the Red Cross.
In 1944 after the Liberation of France, Cardin went to Paris.
In 1945 Cardin was working at the house of Madame Paquin, later leaving
it to join Marcelle Chaumont, who was Madame Vionnet's assistant. Then
he worked with
Schiaparelli, followed by Jean Cocteau and Christian Bernard. Finally, he spent 3 years with Christian Dior from 1947 to 1950
In
1950 Cardin opened his own salon and in 1953 began his life in Haute
Couture, setting up the Maison de Couture in the rue Richepanse. Most
of Cardin's early designs were day suits and coats with raglan sleeves,
dresses that foreshadowed the sack line with their front-defined
waistlines and Watteau backs. Some suits and dresses had tulip-shaped
skirts and boxy waists, brushing jackets with rolled or scarf-tied
collars. He also designed coats with draped hemlines, bubble skirts and
unstructured chemises.
In 1954 Cardin opened a boutique for women called Eve". His bubble dresses took the world by storm.
In
1957 a boutique for men "Adam" opened. In this year, Cardin made his
first trip to Japan. He was made an honorary professor at Bunka
Fukusoi, the Japanese Design college and a Pierre Cardin award was
started there, which is awarded to the best student.
1958 Cardin again presented suits with bubble shaped skirt, tied into a band at the hemline.
1959
He was the first couturier to turn Japan into a high fashion market. In
this year, his first collection of ready to wear was shown at Printemps
department store in Paris.
1959 Cardin was expelled from the
Chambre Syndicale de Haute Couture because he had launched a
ready-to-wear collection, the first couturier in Paris to do so.
However he was soon re-instated.
1960 Cardin launched the first designer men's styles. His famous "Cylinder" collection was launched by 250 students.
By
the 60's, Cardin's reputation had grown considerably, he had become a
well-known designer in love with science-fiction, with astronauts, the
cosmos and the future.
In 1990 Pierre wrote his autobiography entitled
"Past, Present and Future" putting down all the interesting parts of
his life. This book is a little difficult to find, but sometimes comes
up on the Amazon.com "used" section.
1991 He was made Honorary
Ambassador to UNESCO. He designed jewellery and a Chernobyl medal which
were sold for the benefit of UNESCO. Cardin held a fashion show the
same year in Moscow, before 200,000 people.
1992 Pierre Cardin was made a member of the Academie Francaise.
1993 He held his first collection in Ho Chi Minh city and in Hanoi, both in Viet Nam.
1996
At the 26th Olympics in Atlanta, USA, Cardin presented his Evolution
collection which is intended for the 16-25 age group. He subsequently
showed it also in Paris.
1997 There was a Retrospective exhibition of 50 years of Cardin's work, in Paris.
1998
He revealed his plan to build a 133 metre high fluorescent obelisk near
the site of the ancient Alexandria lighthouse in Egypt which tumbled
into the sea about 600 years ago. He unveiled a model of the obelisk
which will be covered in mirrored glass, with 16,500 computer
controlled lights inside to cast beams 69 km out to sea. The Egyptian
government has approved the plan.
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