Best known for creating groundbreaking fashion designs from the 1950s onward, Pierre Cardin enjoyed great success in other design fields, most notably furniture. Cardin's desks, chairs, cabinets, tables and other pieces share many of the keynotes of his clothing designs. They are simple, geometric, elegant and cool.
Cardin was born in a village near Venice, Italy, and raised in central France. Always interested in fashion, he left home at age 17 to train with a Vichy tailor. After the end of World War II, Cardin moved to Paris, studied architecture and worked for a succession of couture houses, before taking a job with Christian Dior in 1946. Cardin went solo in 1950, and two decades later, he ventured into the realm of furniture.
Cardin opened a custom furniture shop in Paris in 1975, and in 1977, he licensed his name for furniture, lighting and rugs that translated his fashion aesthetic into designs for the mass market. While he didn’t design the pieces himself, Cardin felt that furnishings were a logical extension of his brand: “Make sleeves to dresses or feet to a table, it’s the same thing,” he is quoted as saying.
Covering the debut of his furniture collection — priced from $70 for a lamp to $1,375 for a cabinet — at the B. Altman store in New York, New York Times writer Rita Reif called it “the last word in chic,” then proceeded to damn it with faint praise, noting that the glittery pieces, featuring chrome and aluminum, velvet upholstery and Cubist lighting, would “appeal to those who prefer more elegance than originality in their modern.”
Cardin’s furniture pieces — inspired, perhaps, by the rediscovery of Art Deco design during the 1970s — feature simple, symmetrical forms, lacquer and figured veneer finishes, and accents in metals such as aluminum and brass. The home furnishings collections were the first of hundreds of products to bear the Cardin name or logo, including three automobiles and even an airplane; in 1986, Women’s Wear Daily reported more than 800 licensees.
Over the course of more than seven decades, Cardin built an empire that doesn’t merely include hundreds of fashion and product licenses. He also expanded into hospitality, purchasing Maxim’s in 1981 and opening branches of the chic and popular Parisian restaurant in other cities, as well as adding a hotel division.
Cardin’s personal life was glamorous too. He threw lavish parties at his Bubble Palace (Le Palais Bulles), which he purchased in 1992 and transformed over 14 years with Hungarian architect Antti Lovag into a complex of 10 interconnected bubble-shaped terracotta structures. The estate, on an expansive hilltop site overlooking the Mediterranean near Cannes, includes three pools, landscaped gardens and a 500-seat amphitheater. Cardin also purchased a castle in Provence formerly inhabited by the Marquis de Sade and a Venice palazzo supposedly once owned by Casanova.
Licensed Pierre Cardin furnishings were made for only about five years, but more than 300 licenses are still active today. When designing fashion, furniture or anything in between, the prolific Cardin was always forward-thinking.
Find vintage Pierre Cardin desks, mirrors, table lamps and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Pierre Cardin New Old Stock Boxed Hors D’oeuvre Flatware - 12 Piece Set
By Pierre Cardin
Located in San Gabriel, CA
Pierre Cardin Fabulous Never Been Used Vintage Hors D’oeuvres/Cocktails/Tea Flatware Set The photos speak for themselves with this amazingly pr...
Metal
$651Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pierre Cardin servizio da 6+6
By Pierre Cardin
Located in Lugo, IT
12 plates 6 dinner plates and 6 soup plates by Pierre Cardin. Craquele ceramic only in this set Good condition. Thank you
Ceramic
French Pierre Cardin Pink Flower Glass Vase, Signed, 1980s
By Pierre Cardin
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Gorgeous decorative chic glass vase in light pink - rose color, made of glass. With original label "Pierre Cardin" and signature "Pierre Cardin" engraved in the glass (see all pictu...
Glass
Silverplated Cocktail Hors D'oeuvre Serving Knife
Located in Sheffield, MA
The silver plated knife has a decorative handle and is stamped with the insignia for The Source Perrier Collection. The knife will add to the table sett...
Silver Plate
$15,544 / set
H 12 in W 18 in D 18 in
English King by Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Flatware Set 12 Service 60 piece
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in Big Bend, WI
ENGLISH KING (c. 1885) Patterns similar to our English King were first used in France and England late in the eighteenth century and have remained among the most popular styles for>...
Sterling Silver
$12,500 / set
H 12 in W 18 in D 18 in
Moulton by Old Newbury Crafters Sterling Silver Flatware 12 Set 62 Pieces Dinner
By Old Newbury Crafters
Located in Big Bend, WI
Old Newbury Crafters silver is genuinely handmade and wonderfully heavy, the machine cannot match the quality, durability, look and feel of handmade silver. The subtle hammered finis...
Sterling Silver
1970s Brass Smoking Set by Pierre Cardin: Lighter & Ashtray
By Pierre Cardin
Located in Milano, IT
1970s Gorgeous smoking set by Pierre Cardin in brass and metal. This exceptional two-piece desk smoking set is an authentic testament to the 1970s avant-garde industrial design era o...
Metal, Brass
$1,370Sale Price / set|30% Off
H 1.19 in W 3.55 in D 9.85 in
Antique Swedish Sterling Silver Hors d’Oeuvre & Dessert Serving Set, 1949
Located in Wembley, GB
Antique Swedish Sterling Silver Hors d’Oeuvre & Dessert Serving Set, 1949 An exceptionally charming and highly decorative mid-century Scandinavian sterling silver serving set, crafted in Sweden and fully hallmarked for sterling silver circa 1949. This elegant collection features beautifully hand-finished serving pieces with distinctive figural and floral terminals, including delicate tulip motifs, a windmill-form handle, ornate pierced rose decoration, and finely engraved scrollwork. The set embodies the refined craftsmanship and artistic elegance associated with Swedish silver design of the post-war period, blending functionality with sculptural beauty. Each piece displays intricate detailing and graceful proportions, making the ensemble equally suitable for entertaining, collecting, or display. This rare sterling silver serving set includes a variety of hors d’oeuvre and dessert utensils, ideal for serving pastries, cakes, petits fours, olives, sugar cubes, fruit, or tea accompaniments. The romantic floral motifs and whimsical decorative elements give the set a distinctly European character with strong Scandinavian Modern and Art Nouveau influences. An exceptional gift for silver collectors, interior designers, wedding presents, anniversary gifts, house-warming gifts, or luxury tableware enthusiasts. Details Origin: Sweden Date: Circa 1949 Material: Sterling Silver Weight: Approx. 250 grams Hallmarked: Yes Condition: Very good antique condition with minor age-related wear and patina consistent with age and use. Professionally hand-polished before dispatch. Antique Swedish sterling silver serving set, Scandinavian silver flatware, sterling silver hors d'oeuvre set, vintage Swedish silver utensils, collectible sterling silver serving pieces, Scandinavian modern silverware, floral sterling silver utensils, luxury silver gift set, antique European sterling silver, sterling silver dessert server, Swedish silver collectibles, ornate silver serving utensils, mid-century Scandinavian silver, heirloom sterling...
Sterling Silver, Silver
Due Oro Nero 5-Piece Flatware Set
Located in Milan, IT
With its modern, straight edges and brushed golden black finish, this 5-piece set of the Due Collection is perfect for both formal dining and casual parties. Crafted of heavy-gauge 1...
Stainless Steel
$279Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 10.24 in W 8.27 in D 5.12 in
Space Age Drinking Set Orangeade by Jean Pierre Vitrac, 1970s, Set of 9
By Jean-Pierre Vitrac
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
Vintage 'Orangeade' 1970s drinking set designed by Jean Pierre Vitrac in a vibrant orange color. This beautiful set includes six plastic cups and a...
Plastic
$1,013Sale Price|20% Off
H 9.45 in Dm 5.91 in
Venini by Pierre Cardin, big Murano Glass Sculpture, Egg Sculpure, Italian 1960s
By Ludovico Diaz de Santillana, Venini, Pierre Cardin
Located in Milano, IT
Spinzi is a Milano based creative atelier specialised in furniture design as well as sourcing and trading relevant mid-century collectible design. Check out our storefront and websit...
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
$17,518 / set
H 0.1 in W 0.1 in D 0.1 in
Old Italian 800 Silver Flatware Dinner Set for 12 Service 101 Pieces, Italy
Located in Big Bend, WI
This superb 101 piece dinner size 800 silver old Italian (Italy) set is highest Italian quality, large and heavy and includes: 12 dinner size knives, 10". 24 dinner forks, 8 1/4". 1...
Silver
$174 / set
H 6.11 in Dm 2.29 in
Salt, Pepper and Sugar Shaker by Pierre Fossell for Gense, Sweden 1950s
By Gense, Pierre Forssell
Located in Milan, IT
Salt, Pepper and Sugar Shaker by Pierre Fossell for Gense, Sweden 1950s
Stainless Steel
Italian Chicken Motif Ceramic Rotating Hors D'oeuvre Set
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
Italian hand painted ceramic server with 6 removable dishes and lidded center bowl, Set on a rotating wood base.
Ceramic, Hardwood
Pierre Cardin Bottle Opener, 1970s
By Pierre Cardin
Located in Bastia Umbra, IT
Pierre Cardin bottle opener, 1970s. Pierre Cardin bottle opener in chrome/silver metal. The price of shipping is for the Italian territory, for the islands and for shipping abroad ...
Metal
1950s by Pierre Cardin for Lagostina Design Midcentury Cutlery Flatware
By Pierre Cardin
Located in Brescia, IT
Lagostina by Pierre Cardin 1957 24 pieces Very rare series Measures: H 19 cm.
Steel
Pierre Cardin Breakfast Tableware Set by Franco Pozzi, Italy, 1970
By Pierre Cardin
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Very nice sculptural ceramic tableware set designed by Pierre Cardin for Ceramica Franco Pozzi, Italy, 1970. This very nice tableware tower is made of white glazed ceramic and what’s unique to this piece is that the wooden bread cutting board...
Ceramic, Plywood
Pierre Cardin 1970's low ball glasses
By Pierre Cardin
Located in Chicago, IL
Set of 6 Pierre Cardin low ball glasses. Set comes in original red Pierre Cardin box.
Glass