PARIS (Reuters) – 97-year-old French fashion designer Pierre Cardin, who helped give Jean Paul Gaultier their first big break, hasn’t stopped trying to spot the next fashion superstar – by teaming up for his latest adventure with a designer from seven decades his younger brother.
French fashion designer Pierre Cardin, 97, poses during a presentation of a collection produced in partnership with Pierre Courtial, a young designer whom he trained in his Studio Pierre Cardin in Paris, France, on February 27, 2020. Photo taken on February 27, 2020. / Photo taken on November 10, 2018 / REUTERS / Charles Platiau
Cardin, known for shaking up styles in the 1960s with futuristic bubble dresses and other looks worthy of a space odyssey, presented Thursday evening one of his last protégés in the world, a 27-year-old man from ‘a village in Provence.
Pierre Courtial, who makes all of his creations by hand, unveiled a collection at the Cardin studio in the chic rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, with pieces that echo the geometric aesthetic of the seasoned designer.
Outfits included dresses and coats in contrasting colors, with bright reds associated with pastel greens, and the young designer also presented futuristic jewelry.
Cardin – who first learned the tricks of the trade with a then-unknown Christian Dior before presenting his first collection in 1953 – said he always values originality more than anything else.
“I’ve always tried to be different, to be myself,” Cardin told Reuters. “Whether people like it or not, that’s not what matters.”
Cardin said Gaultier, who started out as an apprentice at 18, found success by putting his distinctive stamp on designs inspired by street culture, punk and the gay scene. Gaultier, now 67, said goodbye to the catwalk with his latest fashion show in January.
“Gaultier had a provocative personality,” added Cardin.
SURVIVOR OF THE GOLDEN AGE
The designer is still a practical mentor, according to Courtial, who started working with Cardin five years ago after first studying mechanical engineering and then attending a fashion school.
“Cardin taught me everything from sketching to cutting and sewing,” said Courtial.
After Chanel’s seasoned creative chef Karl Lagerfeld died last year, Cardin is one of the last surviving post-World War II designers who marked a golden age for haute couture in France.
The peers also included the late Yves Saint Laurent, another Dior apprentice.
Cardin has also revolutionized fashion in other ways. He was one of the first to demonstrate business acumen by exploiting brand licensing – a strategy that was also adopted by rivals before many reversed the practice in the past year.
The name of Pierre Cardin has been found on everything from cheap boxers to bottled water.
Cardin has not stopped producing his own unique sketches and designs for high-flying customers.
“He has a loyal American clientele in particular,” said Maryse Gaspard, a former model who works with Cardin.
Report by Elizabeth Pineau, written by Sarah White, edited by Gareth Jones