Fashion designer Pierre Cardin died in 2020
Pierre Cardin, the fashion designer who broke new markets, pioneered branding and brought revolutionary design to not just fashion, but many other arenas, died aged 98 on this day in 2020.
Cardin, the youngest son of Italian- parents who began a career as a tailor in wartime under the Vichy government, before working for Paquin and Dior in Paris.
On opening his own fashion house in 1950, he immediately challenged Paris haute couture by creating ready-to-wear clothes and menswear fashion as well as giving his name to many products from perfumes to furniture, sunglasses and airplanes.
He is remembered for his futuristic fashion designs and for introducing models of different ethnic backgrounds to the Paris runway. He was often the first designer to break into new international markets including Russia and China. At one stage there were over 100,000 Pierre Cardin stores around the world.
He was involved in the running of his empire until his final days, and continued to be a mentor to up and coming designers.
Cardin was bisexual and had spoken openly about the many affairs he enjoyed with men including his long-time assistant André Oliver who died from AIDS in 1993. He notably had a four year long relationship with actress Jean Moreau in the 1960s.
His life was documented in the documentary House of Cardin.
