PIERRE CARDIN: FUTURE FASHION
WITH AMBER DOYLE
Our infatuation for innovative French designer Pierre Cardin goes back many years. So needless to say, we were ecstatic when we first heard about the opening of the Brooklyn Museum’s Pierre Cardin exhibit: Future Fashion. And we could think of no one more appropriate to accompany us to the exhibit, dressed in vintage Cardin, than the beautiful and stylish New York City designer known as Amber Doyle.
We asked Amber her thoughts on the futuristic designer, and here’s what she had to say…
“Wearing clothing by Pierre Cardin is transformative. His dresses make you feel like you are part of the stylish elite; part of a heroic futuristic clique. By changing the proportion, simplifying the design and slimming the silhouette – Pierre Cardin reinvented the suit. The collarless suits he designed for The Beatle are iconic, powerful and refined. A design that has stood the test of time and still feels modern.”
“Pierre Cardin saw the future. He redefined modern shapes and silhouettes. With the addition of new technical fabrics in his designs, he broke the barrier of what was considered wearable fabrics. He was a revolutionary.”
Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion is the first New York retrospective in forty years to focus on the legendary couturier. Drawn primarily from Pierre Cardin’s archive, the exhibition traverses the designer’s decades-long career at the forefront of fashion invention. Known today for his bold, futuristic looks of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, Cardin extended his design concepts from fashion to furniture, industrial design, and beyond.
The exhibition presents over 170 objects drawn from his atelier and archive, including historical and contemporary haute couture, prêt-à-porter, trademark accessories, “couture” furniture, lighting, fashion sketches, personal photographs, and excerpts from television, documentaries, and feature films. The objects are displayed in an immersive environment inspired by Cardin’s unique atelier designs, showrooms, and homes.
Highlights of Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion include rare designs in luxury fabrics from the 1950s; a large grouping from the landmark 1964 “Cosmocorps” collection, which sought to streamline menswear by eliminating excessive detailing; creations that incorporate vinyls, plastics, and the self-named Cardine synthetic fabric; signature unisex ensembles featuring full knit bodysuits with layered skirts, vests, bibs, and jewelry; iconic broad-shouldered jackets from the 1980s based on Japanese origami, Chinese architecture, and American football uniforms; “illuminated” jumpsuits and dresses; recent couture eveningwear; and an extensive overview of Cardin’s recently designed couture menswear.
Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion is curated and designed by Matthew Yokobosky, Senior Curator of Fashion and Material Culture, Brooklyn Museum.
Model Amber Doyle. Photography Alexander Thompson. Stylist Maria Ayala. All vintage Pierre Cardin dresses and handbag worn on Amber Doyle courtesy of Resurrection Vintage NY.
