Not yet senile Pierre Cardin still empire-building at 87

By Claire Rosemberg, in Paris for AFP Published: 10:50AM GMT twenty-two Feb 2010

Pierre Cardin in his bureau in Paris. Photo: AFP/MIGUEL MEDINA

Ushering 3 accountants out of his bureau - opposite the highway from the French president"s - the healthy Cardin leaps out of his chair and waves a small glossy designer-style steel box.

"It"s a sewing kit, for travellers," a rather disassembled Cardin says in an talk about announcement of a new book on his career.

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"I think it will move in lots of money. After all, everybody needs to stitch on a symbol from time to time."

The last active survivor of the good postwar Paris conform houses, ferom his cluttered bureau Cardin runs one of the world"s majority successful conform empires - a firm that even in this corporate age has remained underneath his singular tenure and care for 60 years.

"I never had income to begin with," he proudly insists. "My association grew with the increase I made."

Reviled on and off by most of his contemporaries for exploiting his name, allegedly demeaning high fashion, this son of bad Italian newcomer relatives celebrates the 60th anniversary of his association claiming to own licences for 1,000 or so products sole underneath his name.

"I cover the complete world, solely maybe North Korea, and I could go there as well if I chose," he says in his inimitably carnal way.

Worth an estimated 310 million euros in 2009 and ranked 97th of tip French fortunes by Challenges, a financial magazine, Cardin"s mixed-bag firm includes Paris theatres, Maxim"s restaurants, food and splash products, a new golf course, and, of course, conform and alternative accessories.

"My ultimate fondle (the sewing kit) is an action of creation," he goes on to say. "It"s my name that brings in the cash."

One of the good idealist stylists of the 1960s, Cardin"s blurb plan was similarly revolutionary. He was the initial of the designers for the rich-and-famous to launch a ready-to-wear collection, the initial to move in to men"s conform - and the initial to sell his brand-name.

"Clothes are important, everybody has to dress," he muses. "It"s similar to plants, similar to trees, you shift your cover each season."

Cardin was additionally initial to try in to China, India and Japan, respectively 30, 50 and 45 years ago.

"I was right to do all this," he says. "I really frequency advertise. My origination does it all."

Said to run the complete sovereignty of 450 staff in Paris and 200,000 worldwide roughly singlehandedly, and rather chaotically, Cardin has small time or foster for the stream kings of couture.

"To know either a designer"s left a symbol on conform you need to close your eyes and think what they represent," he says. "Chanel left her small suit, Paco Rabanne"s about metal. Courreges left a symbol as did Elsa Schiaparelli, Madeleine Vionnet, Pierre Cardin."

What about Dior"s stream creations underneath John Galliano? "It"s all costume, melodramatic costume," he says. "The complete conform stage today is zero but costumes."

"Fashion is ostensible to be wearable," adds Cardin, whose Paris boutique continues to suggest space-age-like designs. "Women should be means to live a normal hold up in their clothes."

"Fashion and pattern are not the same. Fashion is what you can wear. Design can be upsetting and without a friend but it"s creative. So pattern is where the genuine worth lies."

In Jul he plans one of his right away singular catwalk shows, a wealthy event to symbol the 60th anniversary of the brand.

In in between time he additionally plans to launch a tote for carrying golf balls, an thought continuous to his new golf march nearby the Marquis de Sade"s palace he owns in southern France.

"Why not give the abounding something to outlay their income on? Without them the universe would stop.

"I"m unresolved in, I"m not senile."

* Pierre Cardin, 60 years of creation by Jean-Pascal Hesse, reaches bookshelves on Feb 25.