A Paper on Pierre Cardin by Nyah Rutchik
Most of us grow up imagining a life vaster than the earth upon which we walk. We play with planes and spaceships, build rockets and paper airplanes, and explore an imaginary world we believe may one day become real. Designer Pierre Cardin was no exception to this childhood fantasy. “I anticipated space fashion even before the space conquest became real,” he stated. “When I was a child, I always imagined that man would one day walk on the moon.” He watched his imagination blossom as his dreams became more and more real, all while watching the great Space Race become a prominent influence and motivator to society. Although he never did fulfill his dreams of walking the moon, he had the unique opportunity of walking in the boots of a man who did.
Born in Venice, Italy, to a wealthy French wine merchant, Cardin entered the fashion world with great hesitation from his father. Despite his father’s wish for Cardin to study architecture, he began studying the art of fashion at the young age of 17. After working under designers such as Elsa Schiaparelli, House of Paquin, and Christian Dior for 11 years, he opened up a shop of his own which would eventually garner him a solid reputation as a men’s suit maker.
It wasn’t until 1959 that Cardin would create his first ready-to-wear collection for women, using his name. Then in 1960, he released his designer ready-to-wear collection for men. By 1964, he came out with his famous collection, Cosmocorps, consisting of some of his most important and influential works. This collection of collarless jackets, unisex jumpsuits, and comically proportioned jewelry inspired countless other designers, celebrities, and artists. You can find his influence in the bold, unisex uniforms worn by the Startrek crew. The fashion of the popular 60s cartoon, The Jetsons,was also created based on the Cosmocorps collection. The innovative use of synthetic materials in these looks, along with his bold and distinctive silhouettes, helped launch the Space Age look, influencing and being copied by many. He even designed a collection of infamous ensembles for The Beatles. After developing a signature style with looks that included striking helmets, visors, and goggles, he began licensing his name for use on a variety of products and accessories, such as sunglasses and eventually textiles.
His out-of-this-world looks captivated an audience and encouraged them to keep making advances towards the age of space. Cardin wanted to help others see the possibility of a day not far away when space travel might be commonplace. He dreamed up miniskirts and vests in bold fabrics and color blocked designs to capture the essence of this idea.
Cardin differed from many other designers of the period, as rather than dressing a woman’s body, he designed pieces that women should adapt to wear. Many designers such as Dior, focused on creating looks that accentuated a woman’s hourglass shape with the use of fitted bodices and full, gathered skirts. “When I design a dress,” he stated, “I don’t design it around a woman's body, I design the dress, and then put a woman inside it.” His style and confidence to stray from fashion norms was intrepid and helped the world see his work by separating it from the designs of others. Cardin was fearless and adventurous in his work, insisting he was influenced by no one. This stalwart determination that disregarded all other trends and designers allowed his work to rise as he reached for the stars, quite literally.
While I think it is safe to assume we may not all be casually walking the moon by 2069 as Cardin had imagined, his desire to dream is genuinely admirable and should be a reminder to us all that we can accomplish great things if we aspire to great things. Cardin’s work allows me to dream of a day where Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to The Moon is much more literal, and we will all be dancing among the stars, clad in outlandish materials that haven’t yet become more than a glimmer of curiosity.
References The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2019). Pierre Cardin. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pierre-Cardin Kwun, A. (2019). Pierre Cardin: The 97-year-old Fashion Designer with Visions for 2069. CNN. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/style/article/pierre-cardin-future-fashion/ index.html La Ferla, R. (2019). Pierre Cardin: His Mind Has to Travel. NY Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/17/style/pierre-cardin-his-mind -has-to-travel.html
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