Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
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.
1980s European Post-Modern Vintage Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
1970s Unknown Campaign Vintage Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
Bamboo, Wood, Lacquer
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
Mid-20th Century French Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
Steel, Chrome
1970s Vintage Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
Steel, Chrome
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
1950s Indian Vintage Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Teak
1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
1970s French Vintage Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
Elm
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Pierre Cardin Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Pierre Cardin desks and writing tables for sale on 1stDibs.
Creators Similar to Pierre Cardin
- Is Pierre Cardin luxury?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 15, 2024Yes, Pierre Cardin is a luxury brand. Founder Pierre Cardin launched his company in 1950, and the brand quickly won attention for its novel style. Unlike Dior's famous New Look, Cardin's clothes de-emphasized a woman's curves; his breakthrough pieces, like the Bubble dress, had a sculptural quality. In the following decade, Cardin introduced bright tunic dresses and shifts, marketed as the Space Age look, and accessorized them with vinyl hats and visors. He also achieved success in other design fields, most notably furniture. Explore a variety of apparel and accessories on 1stDibs.
- What happened to Pierre Cardin?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertAugust 8, 2024What happened to Pierre Cardin is that while he became known all over the world for creating groundbreaking apparel from the 1950s onward, the French designer also enjoyed great success in other fields, most notably furniture.
Cardin’s chairs, cabinets, tables and other pieces share many of the keynotes of his clothing designs. They are simple, geometric, elegant and cool.
Cardin’s clothes de-emphasized a woman’s curves; his breakthrough pieces like the Bubble dress had, instead, a sculptural quality. In the 1960s, Cardin introduced bright tunic dresses and shifts, marketed as the Space Age look and accessorized with vinyl hats and visors.
Cardin later expanded his design work into furniture, jewelry and automobiles. (Later, licensing agreements would put Cardin’s name on goods ranging from perfume to sunglasses.) The couturier died in 2020.
Find vintage Pierre Cardin dresses, scarves, handbags and other clothing and accessories on 1stDibs. - 1stDibs ExpertApril 26, 2024Pierre Cardin was most famous for his work as a fashion designer. He created groundbreaking fashion designs from the 1950s onward. In addition, he enjoyed great success in other design fields, most notably furniture. Cardin's chairs, cabinets, tables and other pieces share many of the keynotes of his clothing designs. They are simple, geometric, elegant and cool. Shop a wide range of Pierre Cardin apparel, accessories and furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 25, 2024Pierre Cardin is famous for creating groundbreaking fashion designs from the 1950s onward. The designer's clothes deemphasized a woman's curves. His breakthrough pieces, like the Bubble dress, had, instead, a sculptural quality. During the 1960s, Cardin introduced bright tunic dresses and shifts, marketed as the Space Age look and accessorized with vinyl hats and visors. In the 1970s, Cardin expanded his design work into furniture, jewelry and automobiles. Cardin's furniture pieces feature simple, symmetrical forms, lacquer and figured veneer finishes and accents in metals such as aluminum and brass. On 1stDibs, explore a range of Pierre Cardin apparel and accessories.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, Pierre Cardin bags described as “leather” are made from real leather, including Italian, woven, vintage, perforated, rustic, and patterned leather. But Cardin also makes bags out of nylon and canvas. Find vintage and modern Pierre Cardin genuine leather bags from top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 25, 2024Yes, Pierre Cardin is a high-end brand. The French fashion house is renowned for the quality of the materials and craftsmanship that go into its apparel and accessories. Pierre Cardin is best known for creating groundbreaking fashion designs from the 1950s onward. In the 1970s Cardin expanded his design work into furniture, jewelry and automobiles. Find a variety of Pierre Cardin pieces on 1stDibs.