171. House of Cardin; movie review
HOUSE OF CARDIN
Cert 12
98 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate sex references
I have admitted many times on this blog that fashion has passed me by but I am entranced by documentaries which teach me about those who have been at its cutting edge.
Some would argue that Pierre Cardin is the one figure who had eluded the gaze of filmmakers, waiting until deep into his 90s before co-operating with Todd Hughes and P. David Ebersole.
His decision turned out to be well-timed. Their movie came out in France and America only months before his death in December - therefore, making a fitting eulogy.
House Of Cardin offers exclusive access to archives and unprecedented interviews with fashion’s elite, documenting how one man became a fashion empire.
Cardin was a workaholic until the end and was one of the most famous Frenchmen ever to walk the earth.
Except that it turns out that he wasn't French because he was born in Italy!
The House of Cardin chronicles his life from the early days when his family fled Trentino to escape Mussolini's Black Shirts.
There is a combination of contemporary and recent interviews during which each period is embellished by the man himself and his acolytes.
These include the likes of Naomi Campbell, Sharon Stone, Alice Cooper, Dionne Warwick, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Jean-Michel Jarre.
They tell of their own personal connections which range from haute couture to his great passion, the theatre, to myriad other forms of design.
It is clear that Cardin was at the forefront of innovation and this film shows his neverending motivation to push boundaries and highlights his great career successes.
It also tells honestly of the loves of his life.
Indeed, House Of Cardin is a rare and intoxicating glimpse into the world of one of the most influential people of the past 70 years.
Reasons to watch: Thorough chronicle of a great influencer.
Reasons to avoid: Very much a tribute rather than an objective biopic
Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7.5/10
Did you know? Cardin was born near Treviso in northern Italy, the son of Maria Montagner and Alessandro Cardin. His parents were wealthy wine merchants but lost their fortune in World War I.
The final word. Rodrigo Basilicati Cardin: It is the first time that Pierre, my uncle, agreed to do this. For a long time, French television, not only French, Italian and Americans proposed to make a film and every time his answer was always no. Finally, my colleague, Matthew Gonder told my uncle, if you don’t accept now, somebody will do it without your say so." John Nubbian
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