Pierre Cardin

Traditionally trained, and a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, Pierre Cardin became best known for his avant-garde and abstract work of the 1960s and 1970s. Through the precise cut and use of heavier or stiffened fabrics, Cardin produced modern, geometric, sculpturally-shaped clothes that are suspended from, rather than draped over, the body. Cardin's fascination for new materials was evident when he introduced his own fabric, called Cardine, in 1968, which was used to produce a line of mini-dresses that were embossed with geometric and abstract shapes and cutouts. Because he was one of the first designers to introduce a ready-to-wear line and add his name to hundreds of licenses internationally, "Cardin" has become synonymous with merchandising and licensing.