The designer Pierre Cardin (1922–2020) was famous for rocketing the fashion world into the space age in the 1960s. Now, his successor as head of the house, Rodrigo Basilicati-Cardin, is using outer space to symbolize the new galactic world he hopes to create for his granduncle’s universe.
To celebrate his global ambitions, Cardin put on a spectacular show at the Christmas Theater in Athens, the “cradle of European culture,” on October 4.
The show, titled Dance of the Galaxies, featured a ballet performed by étoiles Roberto Bolle and Tatiana Melnik and the Nuovo Balletto di Toscana with dancer Danielle Allouma. Basilicati-Cardin, a man who wears many (no doubt Pierre Cardin-designed) hats – an engineer by training, he is now the titular designer of the house’s collections – served as set designer and artistic director, with music composed by Daniele Martini and choreography by Massimiliano Volpini and Philippe Kratz.
Illuminated with stunning images and holograms (one of which showed the birth of a star) of the galaxies, the show was not just a dance performance, however. It was interspersed with appearances from actor Matthew Gonder, who declaimed a text written for the show by astrophysicist David Elbaz explaining the formation and expansion of the universe.
This performance, expansive in itself, was followed by a brief fashion show of the Cardin house’s still space-influenced styles, after which Basilicati-Cardin brought onstage the 13 finalists of the European Edition of the Pierre Cardin Young Designers Award.
Since becoming CEO/president of the Pierre Cardin group, Basilicati‑Cardin has set out to revive and rejuvenate the house by concentrating on in-house design, using the house’s archives to inspire updated looks, introducing a focus on sustainability and working more closely with licensees to ensure that their products reflect the ethos of the house.
He has also brought the house of Pierre Cardin back into the fold of the official Paris Fashion Week. The runway show took place on October 6 at the historic Pierre Cardin shop on the Rue Saint-Honoré, with guests seated inside or on the sidewalk. The clever styles that came out all started with a black or white bodysuit adorned with various playful, brightly colored additions that transformed them into everything from an evening gown to an overcoat. So easy to slip on in a spaceship!
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