Page 14 - DIVA_7_2004_No.16

Pierre Cardin's Universe

Moscow witli 200,000 onloo- tlie Pope and inany kings and

kers; liis recent acqriisition of tlie presidents. He is a Coininander
chttteau of t)ie Marqtiis de Sade of the Legion of Honour in liis
I Cardin orgai'iizing festivals; tliese ilkis- own country.
in tlie Luberon,
witli tlie aiin of
trate )iis unusual initiatives and How did lie start on liis way to
liis taste for granderir. Creator of sriccess? By leaving Vicliy at tlie
tlie pret-A-poiter, he lias been age of 16 and by begiiuiii'ig liis
lieavily criticized. Tliis did not Paris career working in tlie
stop liiin fi'oin continuing on tliis Maison Paquin, btisy pi'oducing
pat)i. He was inotivated by tlie tlie clotlies for tlie filin La Belle
desire to give a cliance of wea- et la BOte, starring Jean Marais.
ring elegant clotlies to tliose wlio "Jean Cocteari ordered tliat l
did not liave tlie ineans to pay sliorild serve as a inodel. Tliere
exclusive prices. He was also followed a tliree-year period at

liappy to earn a lot of inoney: "I Cliristian Dior, and finally l went
i'i'uist adinit tl'iat I becaine ricli oi'i iny own inaking inasks and
tlirorigli tliis activity and not clotliing for tlieatres and filins. It
tlianks to tlie l'iarite coriture. Iwas was iny dreain to act and dance
always ainbitioris and ... I ain that lias coine true."
privileged to liave succeeded
every tiine l toolc an initiative. I Tliree )rears later Cardin presen-
owe success to iny working ted liis first fasliion sliow. "l was
capacity and to iny deterinination liappy to liave joined Dior,
to succeed," says Pierre Cardin. Balenciaga aim otlier fainous
A Frenchman, born in Venice in naines of tlie fasliion world".
1922, Pierre Cardin makes his "Art is iny life", )ie adds, jristi-
entry into the cultural and artis- fying )iis acqriisition of tlie After inany years of success,
tic perspective of our time. Ainbassadeurs Tlieatre in Paris Pierre Cardin decided to "start
as a tribute to liis old and long- retiring". Wliat does tliis inean?
Known for his ambition, his work
tiine love of tlieatrical pei'for- He accepts tlie fact tliat lie is not
goes further than the haute cou-
inances. In 1970, tliere followed getting any yoringer and he is
ture for which he is known. It
L'Espace Cardin witli a tlieatre, a negotiating tlie sale of liis coin-
comprises cultural spaces, the
C!llema, a t'esjauran[ alld a COLlple pany. He worild like to sell it to
hotel and restaurant industries,
of exliibition lialls. In 1981, foriner einployees wlio would
food stores, children's toys and Cardin boriglit tlie fainotis restau- not iniiid liaving liis valuable
perfumes, as well as other pro- rant Maxiin's and later acqriired advisory presence.
jects dictated by his visionary eigliteen otliei' restaurai'its in dif-
talent. ferent parts of tlie world. Tliey "T was very lucky in iny private
are all called Maxii'i'i's. Over life," lie says. "T loved and was
200,000 people work in one way loved. l cannot coinplain. I liad

A inaster in the use of tlie desi-
or anotliei' for Pieri'e Cardin. evei'ytliing I wanted, love and
gnation of tlie first person singti-
Wliat is liis next step? '!'in fasci- inoney. I liad a fiill life wliicli is
lar, lie never lost tlie liigli opi+iion

lie always liad about liiinself. nated by tlie inoon, the sliape of not over yet. If I liad to stait

Thus, lie lias contributed liis pre- wliic)i inspired ine inore tlian again, I wotild do exactly wliat I
OllCe ! " did. l do not regret anytl'iing."
sence to tlie great events of two
centuries, wliere )ie sricceeded in
integrating liimself witliorit diffi- UNESCO Goodwill Ainbassador Yolanda Rojal
culty in order to create a colossal since 1991, lie was received by
einpire, briilt over t)ie course of
sixty years of a ricli career.
At tlie "Maxiin's Residence': part
of t)ie Pierre Cardin Holding, we

discovered t)iat a ineeting witli
tlie enfant terrible of t)'ie Frencli
fasliion world cohild be aimising
becarise of liis reinarks inspired
by a special sei'ise of l'iuinour. His
capacity to coininunicate inakes
it possible to forget everyday
probleins and to enter tlie dyna-
inic artistic and optiinistic world

12 Div,i 7.2004