Pierre Cardin : new ecological vision

Pierre Cardin was an avant-garde and tireless designer. He wrote a part of history of modern fashion during the 20th century. Today, a new chapter is opening with his successor Rodrigo Basilicati-Cardin. A new ecological Cardin vision offers innovative sustainable development initiatives for this 21st century.

Rodrigo Basilicati is the Italian grand-nephew of Pierre Cardin. He met his uncle at the age of 25. Since then, their relationship has continued to deepen, allowing Pierre Cardin to choose him as his successor.

He is an engineer, pianist, designer, and architect. His deep beliefs on sustainable development have led him to launch various projects for the Cardin group.

The Bulles Cardin Award

Rodrigo Basilicati Cardin believes that we must encourage a new dynamic environment that can and must be profitable to be effective and sustainable. This statement is not in contradiction with all actions to protect the planet.

The Prix Bulles Cardin is the result of this desire for an ecological approach. Each year, an endowment will be offered to a start-up, organisation or an individual belonging that meets the criteria of a new economic dynamics in ecology.

This endowment will grow a little more each year thanks to the setting up of a «Green Wallet», to which all the partners of the Prix Bulles Cardin will contribute throughout the year, depending on their choice.

To give it every opportunity to grow, Rodrigo Basilicati-Cardin has decided to also involve his 180 licensees around the world by encouraging them to pay an ecological percentage on each Pierre Cardin item they sell in the 40 countries covered by the brand.

An exclusive interview with

Rodrigo Basilicati Cardin

Why did you take this ecological step?

I have been with my uncle for the last 15 years. We went regularly, every week to Lacoste in the Luberon. He bought houses and loved to restore them in his own way. I followed him everywhere. He was not architect. He made purely instinctive choices. I was already a little bit into design and that allowed me to think about the brand and the Maxim’s.

I think my uncle had started to be interested in the ecological issue, but he was already 80 years old. When he really understood the issues, he was 90 years old. It was a bit late for him to start something. So he gave me this task for the future. He concentrated all his energy on pure creation. He drew all the time and more and more until the end of his life.

Do you want to put a new stamp on the brand?

We alway want to keep the DNA of brand. I’m really into it. When I knew him, I was already designing. I was doing design competitions and I was not far from him. But once I got into his world, I started making his furniture. After a few years, I found that I was making mistakes and I realised that. I fell in love with his way of creating. Now I feel like designing in the same way.

Since then you have become a versatile Cardin designer?

I did interior design. Then I started making accessories, glasses, bottles under the Cardin signature. But it was I who did the first drawings. I translated what he did on women’s trousers and dresses into typical drawings. Today, I receive hundreds of drawings every day and I select some of them to be used for future collections.

Airs de Paris in Kiosk

∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼

Numbers 07 2023