Cardin's Coup De Théâtre

At 94 years old, the icon of French fashion continues to nurture a lifetime fascination for theatre.

- Patrick Clark

Always a relentless traveller, driven by a thirst for perfection and innovation, Pierre Cardin has long held the historic role of figurehead in new wave fashion. With a futuristic approach to design that liberated women from the shackles of femininity, Cardin looked to space for an aesthetic of the future. From the bubble dress to the Cosmocorps, his legacy is that of defining the ready-to-wear model at its inception. Above all a cultural figure whose worldliness and open-mindedness pushed him to look beyond Europe, he continues to nurture young talents, as patron of the Festival de Lacoste, hosted in the ruins of the Marquis de Sade’s residence in Vaucluse, of which Cardin is the proprietor. The festival hosts theatre, opera and concerts throughout July. Another notable residence owned for years by Cardin is the Bubble Palace on the Massif de L’Esterel, which houses a 500 strong amphitheatre.