Pierre Cardin and his connection to Christian Dior

The early years: Born July 2, 1922 to French parents in San Andrea da Barbara, Italy (near Venice), Pierre Cardin became interested in fashion early. He eventually went to work for a tailor in Vichy, France. There, he began to hone the skills that would make him one of the most successful designers of the twentieth century.

Cardin moved to Paris in 1945, at the end of World War II. During his first five years in France's capital city, Cardin jumped rapidly from job to job. He found work in the Paquin fashion house, started by famous dress designer Jeanne Paquin, who died before Cardin's time there. Cardin moved from Paquin to the Schiaperelli fashion house that same year. Also in 1945, he became acquainted with French film director Jean Cocteau. Cocteau hired Cardin to design dresses for his film La belle et la bête (Beauty and the Beast), which premiered in 1946, the same year that Cardin began work at Christian Dior's newly opened fashion house.

Cardin is credited with helping to design Dior's "New Look," a style of dress intended to emphasize femininity in women's clothing after the period of women taking on traditionally masculine roles during World War II. Although he was once part of a team that helped design a style that accentuated womanliness, Cardin is now best known for creating clothes that have the exact opposite effect. His cuts are often said to be planar, geometric, and even irreverent of the female form.

Pierre Cardin left Dior to start his own company in 1950. He started out by designing clothing for stage productions, but soon built up a client base. Christian Dior sent Cardin roses as congratulations, and, a much more important gesture of encouragement, directed his overflow clients to Cardin's new business. Cardin says of his company's beginning, "I started with 20 people. I was successful immediately."

I am curating a wonderful vintage pair of aviator glasses with the Pierre Cardin logo:

Click on link to view item:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/104160532/vintage-pierre-cardin-aviator-gold