FASHIONS FOR THE SPACE AGE

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31317, 13 March 1967, Page 2

FASHIONS FOR THE SPACE AGE

Cardin In N.Z.

One of the most exciting events in New Zealand fashion took place when the Paris couturier Pierre Cardin showed his spring and summer collection in Auckland on Friday, March 10.

Shown only a few weeks after the opening of the collections in Paris, Cardin’s creations for men and women were stimulating and exciting fashion.

Cardin’s visit to New Zealand and Australia was made possible through his admiration for wool and his close co-operation with the International Wool Fashion Office in Paris, said Mr B. S. Trolove, deputy chairman of the New Zealand Wool Board, welcoming guests. Two of Cardin’s own models, with seven New Zealand girls, five men and a teen-age boy showed 130 garments —- of which 100 were wool—in 50 minutes.

Cardin’s “cosmonauts” opened the show with a space age fashion for men and women, the models moving like zombies to “music concrete.”

The girt “cosmonauts” wore flare-skirted dresses, with wide leather cummerbunds in soft folds, and hood-hats. The men wore wide leather cummerbunds or zipped sleeveless jackets with narrow trousers. The silhouette favoured a tiny neat figure with narrow tops and stiffly flaring skirts. Coat shapes were also flaring, the cut less full than a tent, often with latch or button closings on the bias. The colours were vibrant, especially the bright clear pinks and limes. Men’s shades were conventional deep blues and greys, with lively rust, maroon and white for the cosmonauts.

The entire collection was paraded at a fast speed, encouraged by a “Vite, vite!” from Cardin, who remained behind the scenes to supervise each showing. No commentary was given, the fashions speaking for themselves. Each outfit was worn with matching stockings and shoes. Cardin’s originality will remain for a long time an influence on the New Zealand fashion trade.