House of Cardin
The definitive ‘look book’ on the très chic life of Pierre Cardin.
In recent
years, a parade of high-fashion documentaries has strutted down cinema’s
catwalk, covering couture creators in docs such as Valentino: The Last Emperor, L'Amour Fou, Dior and I, and the
fabulous McQueen. Fascination with
the artist behind the apparel continues in House
of Cardin. At the age of 98, designer Pierre Cardin continues to work:
sketching, creating and executing his visions.
The Italian-born
designer, now synonymous with France, fled with his family after losing
everything in WWI. Dreaming of a life in fashion, the young tailor began his
career with an uncredited role making costumes for Jean Cocteau’s French classic
La Belle et la Bête before becoming a
part of Dior’s ground-breaking ‘new look’ in the late 1940s. With a sponsorship
from Dior, Cardin cut a wide swath of his own in the industry, establishing his
brand in 1950. With an emphasis on ‘fashion for all’, Cardin broke from the
past in the 60s, with ready-to-wear designs for the skyrocketing space age.
Adopted by everyone from Mia Farrow to The Beatles, Cardin’s youth-oriented
futurist fashion captured the changing times.
House of Cardin demonstrates the breadth
of Pierre’s creative work and influence, detailing boundaries pushed, risks
taken and the forward thinking Cardin employed throughout his empire. In
addition to fashion, Cardin brought his unique approach to design into nearly
every arena, including furniture, eyeglasses – even a phallic-inspired
fragrance bottle. The first to capitalize on licensing, Pierre is perhaps to
blame for the designer names now emblazoned across our everyday objects and
accessories. The film suffers from an occasional lull (and celebrity
back-patting), but succeeds in chronicling the history of the brand. In a
remarkable archive of collected footage, as well as current interviews, the
rooms of Cardin’s house are well-explored, but the man himself remains an
alluring enigma.
CHAD KENNERK
Featuring Pierre Cardin, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Philippe
Starck, Naomi Campbedll, Sharon Stone, Guo Pei, Jean-Michel Jarre, Alice
Cooper, Dionne Warwick, Maryse Gaspard, Kenzo Takada.
Dir P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes, Pro Cori Coppola, P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes, Ph Laurent King, Ed Brad Comfort and Mel Mel Sukekawa Mooring, Music James Peter Moffatt, Costumes
Pierre Cardin.
Ebersole Hughes Co.-Submarine Entertainment.
98 mins. USA/France. 2019. US Rel: 15 September 2020. No Cert.