For you, Pierre Cardin was a second father, a friend, a big brother, the producer of your shows?
He was a bit of all of that. He was a gentleman to whom I addressed myself with immense respect. Over time, he became a little more than that. He became a friend, who opened doors for me, gave me ideas… It was at the end of his life that I realized that he was a great friend, having always protected and defended me. I regret not having understood this to me more quickly, having always kept my distance. He was like my spiritual father.
Confidences of Pierre Cardin
Your book, Pierre Cardin, so many things not to sayis he steeped in the pen of nostalgia?
Beyond Pierre Cardin, I have always wondered about the reasons for the extraordinary success of personality, wanting to know what is hidden behind it. By living alongside the couturier, within the framework of numerous show projects and his multiple actions around the world, I better understood what was driving Pierre Cardin.
What was this “engine”?
He never ceased to look to the future, the future. For him, what had already been achieved was no longer his problem… For Pierre Cardin, he had to look elsewhere, to pursue his dreams. And then, he had a look on the world and people totally different from that of others. For a decor, for example, he chose the color orange, while everyone preferred blue. In fact, he was always right. Pierre Cardin has always taken hold of new, strange, different things. Moi, j’aime le music-hall is one of the many shows put on by G&érard Chambre and produced by Pierre Cardin. Photo Jerome Faggiano
His project at the former Houdan dairy
You write that his biggest dream would have been to be an actor. You yourself were, somewhere, the embodiment of Cardin’s dream.
He did not succeed in being a comedian, actor in the cinema or in the theater, but, through his multiple creations in fashion and elsewhere, he was one of the greatest “actors” of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. century. He was not an actor on stage, but an actor in the world. He has exercised his creativity in all fields, well beyond fashion. In addition, he has always been interested in the performing arts by buying a theater, becoming the discoverer of many people like Gérard Depardieu. His debut was spent designing the film’s costumes The beauty and the Beast. He only did what he wanted, out of desire and not to make money. His ambition was the first of a show, then he moved on.
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Of all your shows that he produced, which was the most striking?
There are two of them, the last of which is about Jacqueline Kennedy (Jackie the lady in pink). And then, the show on Marlène Dietrich, a character he loved very much despite a tumultuous relationship. This did not prevent him from coming to sing several times at the Espace Cardin. Pierre Cardin came to pick her up in a Roll’s every evening. If he liked men, he adored women.
The site of the former Houdan dairy has not changed since the disappearance of its illustrious owner (archives).
“Take a building, a ruin sometimes,
and bringing it back to life was his passion!”
His manor of Rouvres, but also the castle of Thionville, near Maulette, the domain of Lacoste or his Venetian palace are among his many properties. How do you explain this “buying fever”?
He was fascinated by castles that allowed him to pursue his creativity. Taking a building, sometimes a ruin, and bringing it back to life was his passion! He also did this with houses like in Rouvres where he took over several properties*. It also denoted his attachment to stone, to authentic values. Pierre Cardin had a very simple life; he did not live in palaces. In his castles, he always lived in the caretaker’s house…
One of his latest projects was to set up a center dedicated to theatrical creation and fashion in Houdan. Is the project maintained?
It’s something that has always fascinated me. A colossal project. Pierre Cardin was very attached to it. He wanted to create two performance halls, a city of artists, etc. He had found in this place, a former dairy, a wonderful space of freedom. The only thing that has been achieved is the construction of an ultra-protected room with a stock of furniture of his creation. After ? I don’t know what will happen.
The region of Houdan and Rouvres, far removed from the effervescence of the fashion world, has always been one of his favorites.
Pierre Cardin got on very well with the mayor, who was enthusiastic about his project. In the context of our time, this town is a success. It has the originality of having preserved its historical heritage while being anchored in modernity, with all the services meeting the requirements of our century.
His project ? A musical about Pierre Cardin
Will his projects survive him?
It’s hard to answer. I had the chance to meet his nephew, Rodrigo Basilicati, who succeeded him at the head of the group. At the time, he completely listened to his uncle. At the same time, Peter was aware that all his actions were exclusively on his own. He never thought about death, always telling me he was in great shape.
A cult object that you kept from him?
A pottery, drawings too. When I went to see him for a show, his first job was to design the set. I have little sketches which are not works of art, but for me they have a value, a particular strength.
Are you planning a show around the life of Pierre Cardin?
I am actively preparing for it through a so-called “work in progress” creation. The first phase will be sung readings of my book which will be accompanied by an exchange with questions from the public. This will be the first stage of a musical comedy about Pierre Cardin. It’s my big dream that he would like very much… even if he didn’t want to hear about it while he was alive.
Can we applaud this show in Houdan or in the Dreux region?
I want it, I start by offering it in salons, in people’s homes. We can also consider a dedication, to Houdan in particular. I will come to this region with pleasure.
Pierre Cardin, So many things not to say. Gérard Chambre (Lunatic edition). Price: €24.
Olivier Bohin
People – The hidden face of Pierre Cardin revealed by his friend Gérard Chambre