“Forgotten Hollywood”- C’est Chic…
Manny P. here…
“`French fashion designer Pierre Cardin understood the importance his exclusive haute couture shows would stoke in consumer desire. He also became an early pioneer of licensing. His name emblazons hundreds of products, from accessories to home goods.
“`When he was a child, the family moved to Saint Etienne in central France, where Cardin was schooled and became an apprentice to a tailor. After moving to Paris, he worked as an assistant in the House of Paquin and helped design costumes for filmmaker Jean Cocteau. He was involved in creating costumes for Beauty and the Beast.
“`After working briefly with Elsa Schiaparelli and Christian Dior, Cardin opened his own fashion house in Paris’ posh First District, starting with costumes and masks. Cardin delivered his first real collection in 1953. Success quickly followed with the 1954 launch of his celebrated bubble dress. Cardin’s high-profile relationship with French actress Jeanne Moreau, the smoky-voiced blonde of Jules and Jim, also helped boost the brand’s profile.
“`Beyond clothing, Cardin put his mark on perfumes, makeup, porcelain, chocolates, a resort in the south of France, and even the velvet-walled watering hole Maxim’s — where he could often be seen at lunch. He opened a children’s shop, a furniture store, and Espace Cardin, a sprawling hall in central Paris where the designer would later stage fashion shows, as well as plays, ballet performances and other cultural events.
“`During the brand’s heyday, goods bearing his fancy cursive signature were sold at 100,000 outlets worldwide. In his later life, with no heir apparent, Cardin dismantled much of his vast empire.
“`Pierre Cardin (above right) was ninety-eight.
Until next time> “never forget”
This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 29th, 2020 at 8:48 pm and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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