Pierre Cardin Exhibit Opens at Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum introduces a new exhibit titled Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion as the first retrospective of the legendary designer’s work in New York. Fashion veteran, Pierre Cardin invested everything in his career from working at Schiaparelli to Dior. The exhibition presents over 170 objects from his atelier including pieces of prêt-à-porter and plenty of personal photos.
Eddie Adams (American, 1933-2004.) Pierre Cardin, 1974. Chromogenic photograph on paper, 11 1/4 x 15 in (28.6 x 38.1 cm.) National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Insitute, gift of Time magazine, Briscoe Center for American History. © Estate of Eddie Adams. (Photo: Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery)
Cardin was a true Frenchman, having worked for an atelier in Vichy only to move onto working at the Red Cross when the Vichy Regime took over. After the war, he worked at Paquin and ultimately Schiaparelli. In 1947, Cardin became head of the Dior atelier, but his work was supposedly too “out there” for Balenciaga. But the man never let his bubbly character and psychedelic style shapen by trends. He continued redefining fashion by eliminating excessive detailing. Instead, Cardin incorporated vinyl, plastic, and synthetic fabric (totally unacceptable by today’s sustainable standards) that would truly differentiate his work.
<Pierre Cardin linen pants, 1972 (Photo: courtesy of Archives Pierre Cardin)
From clothing, Cardin moved to furniture-design and industrial pieces as well as his famed Palais Bulles in the South of France. Dior would ultimately indirectly honor the designer by staging a Cruise show there.
“Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion” is open at the Brooklyn Museum until January 5th, 2020.
