Pierre Cardin Makes Runway Comeback

Pierre Cardin made his runway comeback today, during Spring/Summer 2011 Paris Fashion Week. This show commemorates Cardin's 60^th anniversary as a designer under the Pierre Cardin brand name. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Cardin revealed that this sudden return to the runway after a ten-year hiatus may be something of a swan song. The 88-year old designer stated that he's close to selling his namesake design house, but wouldn't comment on the buyer.

Pierre Cardin is something of a polarizing figure in fashion, due in part to his revolutionary contributions to the industry. He was the first to recognize Japan's potential as a market for designer fashion, in the late 1950s. The Asian luxury market has exploded over the last half-century. According to The New York Times, Japan's luxury market alone was worth between $15 and $20 billion in 2009 - and that was in the middle of an economic downturn. Pierre Cardin has also allowed his famous name to be widely licensed, putting his stamp on everything from automobile interiors to umbrellas.

Cardin is the father of ready-to-wear (RTW or "off the rack") fashion, mass-produced designer fashion sold in set sizes rather than haute couture (made-to-measure). If you've ever purchased Dior, Chanel, or any other couture house's fashions at a department store, you have Pierre Cardin to thank. His ready-to-wear line was created for France's Printemps department store chain in 1959. Prior to the age of ready-to-wear, luxury fashion was a privilege reserved for the rich. Fashion shows were held on a small scale, and wearing designer fashions meant you visited the designer's salon and were custom-fitted.

Needless to say, Cardin's foray into the department store wasn't well-received. Following his Printemps debut, Cardin was temporarily ousted from Chambre Syndicale (full name Chambre syndicale de la haute couture), the French fashion designers' trade union responsible for organizing Fashion Week. He left Chambre Syndicale for good in 1966, and began putting on his own runway shows in 1971. He purchased a former theater in Paris to use as a venue, which he called "Espace Cardin."

Today's show was put on at Espace Cardin, with much less grandeur than might be expected from a major designer's comeback. As photos of the show clearly display, the show appears to have taken place in an empty office space. The gray office-style carpet, lack of stage and few rows of basic conference chairs at Espace Cardin are a far cry from the stylized backdrops at most fashion shows. It's possible that Monsieur Cardin was too busy designing to worry about the runway production, however. Today's show took 45 minutes and showed 300 outfits, a much more ambitious affair than designers who put on multiple shows per year.

Pierre Cardin's name is synonymous with futuristic, avant-garde fashion. His "bubble dress," first shown in the 1950s, has been imitated many times over. His '50s and '60s styles looked like something straight out of science fiction, with bright Judy Jetson-style dresses and utilitarian jumpsuits. He's used hoops, hats and unusual shapes to make some of the most daring fashion of his time.

He revisited these signature looks in today's show, making the same retro-futuristic aesthetic look fresh again. Among the standout looks featured were boxy vinyl raincoats, khaki jumpsuits and gowns fitted with hoops and kimono-like patterned fabric. As expected, the accessories were over-the-top, including huge hats, rubber bracelets and round handbags that more closely resembled sculptures than somewhere to stick your wallet. Working around what was revolutionary fashion in 1960 made for a number of kitschy looks, but Cardin's mastery of fashion and unusual shapes kept them cool instead of corny.

The overall effect of the show was a 3-dimensional revisit of Cardin's design history and a love letter to his craft. Whether this will be Pierre Cardin's last collection is anyone's guess - particularly amid his admission of a sale in the works. If it was, today was a strangely fitting send-off for one of the twentieth century's landmark designers.

Sources:

Christina Passariello. "After a Decade, Pierre Cardin Returns to the Runway." The Wall Street Journal.

Hiroko Tabuchi. "Once Slave to Luxury, Japan Catches Thrift Bug." The New York Times.

"Hot Shot: Je Ne Sais Quoi at Pierre Cardin." The Cut.

"Pierre Cardin." Wikipedia.

"88-Year-Old Pierre Cardin Returns to Paris Runway After 10 Years." The Huffington Post.