PIERRE CARDIN Designer of the Future

As we continue with our exploration of fashion in the 1960's Pierre Cardin certainly had an influence. He has an avant-garde style. He likes geometric shapes and motifs, and often ignores the female form. He introduced the "bubble dress" in 1954. His unisex fashions were often experimental, and not always practical. Cardin moved into menswear in 1961. He tended to use brightly coloured and patterned garments.



Pierre Cardin took a prominent role in 1960's fashion scene, specifically with his 'Space Age' look.

As space became popular in 1960's television programs like 'Star Trek', 'Barbarella' and '2001: A Space Odyssey' Cardin explored the idea of dressing for the future. In the late 1960's his stark, short tunics, and his use of vinyl, helmets, and goggles launched the Space Age look.

Cardin took the unisex jumpsuit and produced a wardrobe for the future and unveiled his "Cosmocorps" line in 1964. Cardin's embrace of science and technology, together with the notion of progress was expressed in his Space Age Collection, which featured white knitted skin tight catsuits, tabards worn over leggings, tubular dresses, and his growing interest in man made fibres. Some of his fashions were made entirely of metal and plastic. His female models were dressed in shiny vinyl, skin-tight catsuits, high-legged leather boots and even space helmets. Collars, when used, were typically over sized and cut-outs were very revealing. He created his own fabric, Cardine, in 1968, a bonded, uncrushable fiber incorporating raised geometric patterns.

Cardin lives and works in Paris, constantly designing and innovating his many lines of clothing, footwear, perfume and hats. His designs and his commercial success have made him one of the living legends among French fashion designers.