Rodrigo Basilicati-Cardin had work done for him even before last night’s event at the former Pierre Cardin flagship store, which is now in full refurbishment mode, ready to reopen next month.
For all the admiration (and envy) his great-grandfather, Pierre Cardin, inspired — from space-age clothing to pioneering the modern licensing model — took his name from A label becomes a brand – a whole generation has passed since the brand launched its official PFW collection. It’s been even longer since it had real money.
In fashion, though, there’s nothing more irresistible than a reboot: old houses need fresh blood, and Cardin’s profile is famously deep. A loyal few include high-society ladies, the occasional celebrity (singer Mireille Mathieu), a few once-omnipotent French fashion editors who used to wear Cardin, and hordes of culturally curious people who flock to the shop opposite the Elysee Palace And pitched tents outside to get a glimpse of what might come next.
Appearances in the collection.
Image: Getty
Appearances in the collection.
Photo: Getty
archives for collection35 The exterior was designed by Basilicati-Cardin (interior designer by training) and petites-mains who have spent their entire career in Pierre Cardin’s atelier. There are Trek-y shift dresses and crisp shift dresses, one silver pleated with a big red dot and the other black with coils of serpentine silver and rhinestones; A bright green trench coat was layered over a cropped khaki top and matching pants; and an emerald green bustier dress with a flowing vertical half-moon hem. An orange faux-fur coat with gold cones on the chest was surreal; men’s suits shone with modernist silver buttons. In keeping with the brand’s new eco-responsibility strategy, materials were sourced from the brand’s own slow-moving stock, Basilicati-Cardin said.
From the collection.
Photo: Getty
Even so, he said, “My job here right now is to make things work.” Basilicati-Cardin noted that post-pandemic interest from younger customers Surge, they’re always craving something different, he said, and he’ll be passing through schools all over the world. Prize: the opportunity to come to Paris and work at Cardin.
The late designer rose to fame with his fascination with “Tomorrowland”. One of his most quoted lines is: “My favorite clothes are the ones I invent for a life that doesn’t exist yet.” He probably didn’t know that the very existence of this house depended on it.
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