Pierre Cardin Car Wash Dress

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 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 and worked for a succession of couture houses, before taking a job with Christian Dior in 1946. Cardin went solo in 1950, and quickly won attention for his 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, instead, a sculptural quality. In the following decade, 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. (Later, licensing agreements would put Cardin’s name on goods ranging from perfume to sunglasses.) Cardin’s furniture pieces — inspired, perhaps, by the rediscovery of Art Deco design in that decade — feature simple, symmetrical forms, lacquer and figured veneer finishes, and accents in metals such as aluminum and brass.

Whether you are looking for a vintage cocktail dress or a chest of drawers to keep it in, as you will see on 1stDibs, Pierre Cardin offers an option in either that is timelessly chic.

Start building your collection of covetable and iconic vintage clothing today — no matter where you roam, there is a curated selection of designer dresses and gowns, sweaters, shirts, dazzling shoes and more on 1stDibs that will keep you covered in the hottest styles from head to toe.

From elegant museum-worthy vintage Chanel dresses and jackets to audacious T-shirts and trousers from provocative punk designer Vivienne Westwood, one thing is abundantly clear: If the clothing for sale on 1stDibs could talk, it would certainly make a statement. 

For fashion lovers, the 1990s have become associated with styles adopted by today’s supermodels and influencers — think John Galliano and Roberto Cavalli — but maybe ‘80s accessories are among your (guilty?) pleasures. 

Playful, boldly colored coats and outerwear from Moschino, Ralph Lauren and other titans of the era can take a simpler ensemble to the next level, while chic and practical suits from the likes of Christian Dior and Balmain endure for haute couture advocates and beyond. 

And vintage is the name of the game on today’s red carpets, too. Celebrity stylists are turning to archival pieces created by the likes of Bob Mackie, Thierry Mugler and Jean-Paul Gaultier as alternatives to new gowns plucked straight off the runway. Wearing such sought-after items gives celebrities instant allure and suggests a personal style that’s not only achingly glamorous but intellectually informed and influenced by a love of craftsmanship. 

Those seeking contemporary luxury looks and in-demand street-style fits can indulge in designs by Bottega Veneta, Miu Miu and Loro Piana, while pieces from Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Versace endure as examples of fashion’s most covetable goods. 

The future — and glamorous past — of fashion is yours for the wearing. Find vintage clothing and accessories for sale on 1stDibs, including designs by Balenciaga, Valentino, Celine, Loewe and more.