In 1971, at the J.L. Hudson flagship store in downtown Detroit, my mom scored an exceptional dress on sale in the in the store’s swanky Woodward Shops. Designed by Pierre Cardin, the gorgeous cocktail dress was perfect for me to wear to a wedding reception to be held in Philadelphia’s Main Line area, and attended by old monied friends of the groom. It was actually my reception, after our wedding had taken place in Dearborn, Michigan that morning. That marriage lasted four months; it was ill-fated from the start, and I didn’t wear the dress that evening, because I didn’t attend my reception! That is a story for another time.
The dress was constructed from a turquoise silk chiffon and fully lined in matching silk. Sleeveless, with bare shoulders and a high neckline, the “mock turtleneck” style collar (with the classic Cardin keyhole opening at the back below the neck) was covered in silver metal tubes that also accented the waistline a bit. The dress flowed in a sexy but modest manner, skimming my torso, subtly cinching in at the waist, and ending several inches above my knee. I cherished that dress! Sadly, it was stolen during one of my later house parties along with some of my favorite jewelry.
That was my one designer dress by Cardin, although I owned a variety of Pierre Cardin-branded mass market, off-the-rack clothing and other items over the years.
Pierre Cardin lived a productive creative life, and died last month on my wedding anniversary (no, not the anniversary of my first wedding), December 29, 2020. I’m not sure that any of our emerging design talent can live up to his inspirational and creative genius. But I’m cheering them on, as I am sure he would.
Since I am in the process of creating a wardrobe inventory, I’m going to search the Pierre Cardin imagery and archives to find a photo of that dress! When I do I'll post it here, and add it to my “formerly owned” category. Meanwhile, this Pierre Cardin dress from the late 1960s is similar in length and neckline, but lacks the waistline embellishment on my dress. Its fabric is very different from my dress, but the overall effect is similar, including the banded hem — also seen in the second (black) dress below.
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| Pierre Cardin Haute Couture Lame Cocktail Dress w/Beading at Neck ca.1966 |
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| Pierre Cardin Haute Couture Blue Silk Cocktail Dress w/Beaded Trim Ca.1966 |
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| Pierre Cardin Hot Pink Pleated Silk Evening Dress c. 1977 |
More
Revisit Pierre Cardin’s Life in Pictures: https://www.vogue.in/fashion/gallery/revisit-the-late-pierre-cardins-remarkable-life-in-picturesHis work continues: https://pierrecardin.com/en/
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