How do love, passion, energy, and drive combine to create change and innovation? For Rodrigo Basilicati Cardin, it is a combination of the arts and sciences that surround us all. Combining his unique background with the legacy and tradition of a firm is often easier said than done, however. But for Rodrifo Basilicati Cardin, reminding yourself of what brought you here, where you are going, and what you hope to achieve along the way can help alleviate some of the difficulty that often comes with great responsibility and ambition. In this interview, we discuss the contours of this approach as well as the increasingly interconnected future of not only fashion but the industry and the environment, society, and global politics. In other words, fashion stands at the same crossroads that so many other industries do and, as such, it stands to reap the windfall of innovations that are certain to come along with increased environmental and social awareness. Discussing the burden of heritage and the influence it has on the direction of the firm, Cardin assures us that creating the future is often a fine balance of what worked in the past and what is coming down the road for the future.
Can you explain how your background and multiple interests have influenced your vision and leadership style?
I believe it’s my dual education—both scientific, as a civil engineer, and artistic, as a trained pianist—that has always guided my vision. After 25 years of collaboration with my uncle, I think I’ve inherited his world, his vision for developing the Pierre Cardin brand. Of course, we live in a different era now, but the balance between a natural curiosity for science, technology, architecture, design, and a musician’s sensitivity contributes harmoniously to sustainable design, which is essential for the society of the future.
How important is heritage and tradition in the face of the need for innovation and change?
Pierre Cardin’s heritage is very complex to describe because my uncle was constantly brimming with ideas, like an artist at every moment. He drew inspiration from things that might seem insignificant: discovering a new material in a hardware store, observing architecture, a painting, an artist’s universe, a performance, dance, poetry… just as innovation in space or new technologies inspired him. That’s why he saw himself in me, through my passion for innovation in general and art.
Philanthropy holds a key place for you. With the upcoming gala evening in support of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund at the Palais Bulles, how do these global commitments influence your approach to business?
Philanthropy comes from the heart, and the heart has its reasons… It’s human encounters that nourish both the soul and the feeling of being useful. We are only passing through this earth. Of course, I want to captivate humanity through my design creations, but producing just for the sake of production doesn’t truly interest me. Above all, I want to create, and it’s in action and creation that a philanthropic approach elevates the soul and fuels inspiration.
How do you envision the future of Pierre Cardin in an increasingly interconnected fashion market? Are there any growing sectors that offer particular opportunities for the company?
The future of Pierre Cardin is tied to the future of our planet. My uncle and I, have always shared a vision of the brand rooted in a unique philosophy—an economic paradigm shift. We must continue to produce Pierre Cardin designs that are more sustainable than ever. The planet deserves our care. We must say without hesitation that sustainability must be profitable. Degrowth is not a solution… It’s through a sustainable economy that we can shape the virtuous consumer society of tomorrow, and the economy must follow this path.
The image of Pierre Cardin, through its haute couture collections showcased in our fashion shows, fuels our determination to look toward the future by using new materials from circular economy research. At the same time, I’m developing a new, more accessible high-end ready-to-wear line, always with an innovative and sustainable spirit. I will produce this new line myself, with the launch of new boutiques worldwide—Paris, Beijing, Mexico City, New York, Seoul, Taipei, Dallas…
Does the weight of heritage influence your decisions, or is it better to approach business with a fresh perspective?
The weight of heritage is essential to me. With every major decision I make at the Pierre Cardin Group, I feel like I’m in a constant dialogue with my uncle. Deep down, I know he approves of my decisions and the evolution of the Pierre Cardin brand. Pierre Cardin never stopped showing me the way with his fresh perspective in each of his creations. Since childhood, I’ve functioned like him: what matters is daring to bring completely different worlds together to create wonder, which is the foundation of all vision.
How will Pierre Cardin evolve to meet the changing needs of the market?
As I mentioned, the vision of a sustainable future and adapting design to our future societies have been my two major concerns since I began developing the Pierre Cardin brand four years ago. You know, by inventing the licensing principle, my uncle paved the way for a local economy, avoiding the mass export of designs around the world via thousands of polluting cargo ships and tankers. 95% of our licensees produce locally… The constraints emerging from climate change consequences are, for me, an unavoidable framework for our evolution and adaptation.
Design, in general, is the art of meeting aesthetic demands, yes, but above all, it’s about offering useful responses to our needs. Today, design must protect our future and harmonize humanity’s adaptation on Earth while respecting our environmental future.
How do you reconcile the realization of dreams and family vision with the pragmatic realities of the business world?
Business pragmatism cannot survive without a dose of utopia. I develop the Pierre Cardin Group by communicating the Cardin house style and my development vision to our 140 licensees, sharing my human sensitivity along with the recent need for modern tools like AI. Today, we must anticipate and master AI to grow on digital platforms and renew the brand through unique events. People will always need to dress and express their personality. Design must meet future needs, especially in the face of climate change, and AI must remain a tool at our service, integrated with humanity into our virtuous creative and economic development approach. The hand will forever remain the tool that connects humans, creation and the emergence of art and design. AI can only be the handle of the tool but not the tool itself…
You’ve emphasized the importance of knowledge and its practical application. What recent innovations do you think hold promising prospects for Pierre Cardin?
Our new licensees are proud to see Pierre Cardin focusing on a sustainable future. Design, materials, and technology are more interconnected than ever in our creations. Without going into details, our fashion shows gradually reveal these innovations through our new collections.
That’s why I’m currently researching new materials—which is also why I recently collaborated with the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne to design a prototype flexible lunar training suit as part of the European Space Agency’s new LUNA project…
Everything I undertake in connection with research in the New Space and Blue Economy sectors is an inexhaustible source of inspiration and design development for the Cardin brand and its philosophy, which is oriented toward the rapidly evolving societies of the future, thanks to globalization. Our 140 licensees across over 40 countries are also valuable sources of information and indicators about tomorrow’s world…
What does a typical day in your life look like?
I don’t have a typical day—more like typical days and nights! ( laughs !…)
My priority is always to start my day by being present in the Cardin workshops, following the progress of my creations and exchanging with my designers and staff. Then, I manage relationships with our independent licensee producers. So, I travel frequently to organize fashion shows in France and abroad, and of course, to run my young designers’ competition, interacting with them in workshops where the winner joins our Paris design team for three months (or longer, if there’s a good fit!).
I also give talks to promote the brand’s new image and develop the “Bulle Cardin Prize: Space & Ocean for Our Planet,” which highlights innovative startups in New Space and the Blue Economy. There’s also the music, theater, and film festival I organize every year in Lacoste, where my uncle acquired the Marquis de Sade’s castle and built a Roman-style theater in the village’s old quarries. Lately, I’ve been focusing on showcasing Pierre Cardin’s real estate heritage—our Pierre Cardin boutique in Paris with its workshops, other locations like the Pierre Cardin Palais Bulle in Théoule-sur-Mer, and recently, the vintage restoration workshops in Houdan. And of course, my key role is welcoming and supporting new licensees as the brand expands strongly in the U.S., South America, and Asia!
Finally, my nights are often spent on the Pierre Cardin Group’s administrative and legal tasks!
What is a lesser-known aspect of your personality that you’d like to share?
I originally wanted to be an aerospace engineer, so I’d say that 25 years ago, when I started working alongside my uncle in fashion, it somewhat overshadowed my passion for engineering, science, and futuristic technologies from space exploration. That explains the immense joy I felt working on the lunar training suit with the Cologne Astronaut Centre. Since this collaboration with the European Space Agency, I’ve been gradually fulfilling my dream—and my uncle’s… I’m also increasingly involved in the future of the oceans, on which we depend for our survival. We know more about Mars than the ocean depths! On the oceanic front, I’m very interested in the development of future coastal cities that will soon be built due to rising sea levels…
If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be?
Mankind and its greed!
