Paris Fashion Week is under way and there is much ado about nothing…so far, anyway. Love Dries van Noten. As the week goes on we will be slayed with fierceness from the usual suspects. The parties will be amazing, the hipness quotient will be high and the front row will be…well…whatever front rows are these days. A hodge-podge of faces and names that make it all worthwhile. Notably, Balenciaga had a groovy front row with Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Orlando Bloom and Salma Hayek. That’s pretty cool, I’d say. Anyhooo, now onto the far more pressing topic of the day, the ridiculousness of Pierre Cardin. Far be it from me to not have the utmost respect for the man who changed the industry. After all, he made pens chic. With his ground-breaking contribution to licensing coupled with his reputation for futuristic fashion, at a time when Cosmonauts were circling the globe, Cardin tapped into the zeitgeist of the 60’s and etched his place in fashion history. Somewhere between then and now however, he decided to show 200 for Spring ’11, which must have been THE ONLY place to be…for a gigantic, comedic fashion romp. OK, there were a few good pieces…but I have said this countless times…hire me to edit your collection. I tend to find five looks out of twenty in many shows that the world could live without. Now, imagine the number of looks that should have been edited out from yesterday’s Pierre Cardin show. So anyway, here it goes. Get ready.
I just can't...
Imagine the happy couple that chooses to buy these and waltz around town. Fashion Barney.
What planet does Pierre Cardin live on? This is like Michael Rennie from The Day The Earth Stood Still.
See what I mean?
This is what young lovers will be wearing in Spring '11? Is this at least breathable fabric?
Nanu, Nanu.
Taking fire engine red a bit too literally.
Here we have Wicked Witch of the East Chic.
And here we have Wicked Witch of the West Chic.
This looks like bad frat house Halloween nonsense. Actually, so embarrassing, it could be considered hazing.
Sir Issac Newton realness.
Lurch chic.
Sugar plum fairies danced in their heads.
Nice little bell bottom-ettes you got there, Pierre. Spare. Looks like those cones on dogs heads when they get neutered.
Taking the pill box hat to new heights...literally..and unnecessarily.
More utter Lurch nonsense.
Thom Browne has NOTHING to worry about.
Really? Come on.
Freddy Mercury chic.
Here Pierre Cardin does what no man has ever done...combine a buffet table with a dress. BYO Smorgasbord.
LOVE the comments under practically each photo! However, I like the jacket of the Wicked Witch of the East Chic and the last photo makes the ultimate fashion point: Pretty people can sell anything, even poofy, ridiculous-looking table dresses. I'd buy it.
I don't get it. Where are the dancing dogs? The clowns in small cars? They seem to be missing from the Cardin Circus.
IS there an audience for this? He used to be great but aren't they embarrassed about what everyone else thinks of them? Why can't designers aim towards an Alexander McQueen-type weirdness/chicness. Not, as the other commenter put it "circus."Maybe this will be at the Met in a few decades. Who knows
Actually, Screaming Queens in New York has been doing cocktail-table dresses for years: http://www.screamingqueens.com/strolling_tables
I love the looks on the models' faces. They range from grim humiliation to holding back giggles. I'm not sure anyone's putting this on their resume.
I'm going to agree with Kanani's comment: "I don’t get it. Where are the dancing dogs? The clowns in small cars? They seem to be missing from the Cardin Circus.
I will say that in spite of this show/parade/circus, the Assouline Cardin book is wonderful and inspiring. I'll be putting up a write-up next week on The Fashion Examiner.
Read more: http://imeanwhat.com/youcallthisfashion/i-love-pa…
those hazing suits and the D.T.E.S.Still look do draw your eye to the models, er, "attributes". I give that a thumbs up. Still, hey could have been tighter fitting, ala Buck Rogers scifi series from way back, no?