Fashion designer Pierre Cardin was a supreme innovator – for 70 years, he ripped up convention and captured the zeitgeist. His thirst for the new and surprising was never satisfied.
He will be remembered for his futuristic designs – some were inspired by the space age, some were even impossible to wear.
He carved his own way through the fashion industry. Parisian haute couture had always been exclusive – its high priests believed it should be high-end, individually tailored and eye-wateringly expensive.
Cardin broke the mould. He launched “ready-to-wear” collections, bringing high fashion to the middle classes. His designer peers were aghast, and threw him out of their club.
In the 1950s, men wore traditional suits which made the young look like their fathers. Cardin threw out the boxy jackets and stiff white shirts, creating a revolutionary look for a new, progressive generation.
Gone were the bulky details; collars, lapels,