They said pret-a-porter will kill your name, and it saved me
Interpretation
The quote expresses how ready-to-wear fashion, initially seen as a threat, ultimately became a saving grace for the designer's legacy.
Pierre Cardin's quote reflects the transformative impact of prêt-à-porter (ready-to-wear) fashion on the fashion industry and his career. What was once perceived as a potential threat to the exclusivity and artistry of couture fashion turned out to be a pivotal strategy that broadened his audience and revitalized his brand, illustrating how innovation can lead to unexpected success.
In practice
During a fashion seminar, one might say this quote to illustrate the unexpected advantages of embracing change in the fashion industry.
Go out there and try on everything - short skirts, long skirts, mid length, little jackets, men's clothing - and really look at yourself; really walk around in the clothes. Don't just take someone else's advice. You must feel you in these clothes and feel what it's like to live in them.
You should always own a black dress because no one ever remembers a black dress.
My relationship with fashion has always been that each of us stars in our own movies and costumes ourselves to play the part we want. You take blouses and jeans and dresses, and you put them together, and they tell your story.
Fashion today is available to everybody in a way that it's never been before: you've got every designer you've ever heard of working for H& or Target. That's fantastic.
Never fit a dress to the body but train the body to fit the dress.
In Italy they take cheap cloth and make it look expensive, but I take expensive cloth and make it look cheap. They just don't understand.
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