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Though he was born in Italy, the impact that Pierre Cardin made while working in France shaped the fashion industry. Cardin passed away in Neuilly on December 29 at age 98, but his pioneering fashion designs, mentorship and licensing approach continue to reverberate throughout the world, affecting realms as disparate as automotive creation and architecture.
Born in 1922, Cardin’s aspirations of becoming a tailor evolved into work for the Red Cross during World War II, before he shifted to the luxury realm and worked for Paquin, Schiaparelli and finally Christian Dior. There, Cardin headed up the tailoring atelier at the time when Dior introduced his iconic New Look, putting his stamp on the designer’s signature Bar Jacket.