Have You Ever Thought About Pierre&Nbsp? Cardin?

Designers are busy buying historic buildings in the Medieval French village of Lacoste, including the Marquis de Sade (the castle of Marquis de Sade), and rebuilt them in the designer's own logo style.

In order to find the footprints of Pierre Cardin (Pierre Cardin), I have to visit the buildings of Lacoste village in the area. Pierre Cardin, the legendary fashion designer, has purchased many buildings over the past ten years, while listening to local advice, he adopted a simple way to rebuild. Now he has more than 40 acquisitions, and the most famous one is the eighteenth Century notorious Marquis de Sade castle.

On a sunny morning the summer of last year, I wandered in a cobblestone roadway called Rue Basse, peeping through the windows and doors of the roadside. The enchanting stone outer wall of the village is now hidden under the simple modern style.

Sure enough, inside a shaky building, I could see the metal used to support the walls and the dust. I found Mr. Monsieur Cardin working inside. In this environment, the revolutionary creative combination of Warhol-esque white hair style and iconic black frame is precisely interpreted. Though nearly 90 years old, Cardin, who rolled up his sleeves in a blue shirt, looked very young. He also helped two workers move a scarlet sofa designed by Cardin. The sofa looked like a huge potato chip.

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It was totally beyond my expectation. When I introduced myself to a writer who was interested in Marquis de Sade, Cardin shook my hand excitedly and took me around his own building to decorate the old castle as a hotel. "Upstairs is finished!" he said enthusiastically. Cardin once again ignored his old age and walked on the 2 floor of the fault for a long time, walking up and down on it. I had to hold my arms under him to prevent him from falling down. Then he took me to continue to visit.

Each room has different color themes, vibrant bright orange, purple, green, and he uses his own brand designed furniture for layout. The front window of the building can see the green Lub e Ron (Lv Beilong Valley), which is known as the peak village of Peter Mayle in the year of the year. "Of course Lacoste is the most beautiful village in France," Cardin said.

On the face of it, even for a legendary figure in the high-end fashion world, refurbishing a village should be an old man's hard work in his old age, but the old man's career is full of highlights: including the help of the 1946 beauty and the beast Jean Cocteau; the 1954 "bubble dress" introduced in 1954, the Department Store brought by PR t- -porter; the fashion theme of the space age invented in 1959; supporting the Beatles and rolling stones in 1960s. As early as 1974, the cover of the "times" magazine in Europe praised him for his leaping ability. From the whole physical design of the world fashion design, Cardin was praised as "capable of doing anything." He is the first fashion designer, and his name can be linked to anything, from watches to cars, planes, even toilets accessories, perfume and cigarettes.

Cardin: A Fashion Retrospective

Pierre Cardin: Fashion retrospective exhibition

Cardin often boasts that he only relies on Cardin brand products to support his life. (more than 140 countries granted more than 800 Cardin brand product licenses). In this sense, it is more than enough to rebuild a small village in a small area. "I have created the world," he told me. "Whether you like it or not, that's another matter."

Since Pierre Cardin came to Lacoste village in 2001, he has been trying to turn the 25 miles east of Avignon to "Saint-Tropez culture". There will be open galleries, cafes, restaurants, grocery stores and decorated hotels and apartments. He thought of the law from the annual Lacoste Festival. Every year in July, the Marquis de Sade Sade Marquis commemorative event was held, and it was said that the Sade herself pursued her art in a unique way. The famous "Justine" and "The 120 Days of Sodom", which describe Sade's debauchery life, are also a fanatical drama enthusiast. In the early 1770s, he held a large-scale drama here, and arranged to perform in collaboration with a troupe from Wu.

Attending the festival of Mr. Cardin is a lively stage experience. Because stars will come, so will the fans from Paris and Riviera, who will stroll along the cobblestone road or at night through the ancient castle illuminated by lights. The old quarry of Marquis Sade has been transformed into a spectacular open-air theater. The two sides of the theater are chiseled on the sides of a huge stone to remind people of the entrance to the Egyptian temple. In the theater, models wearing tight skirts make Maxim champagne for guests, which is also Cardin's brand.

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The repertoire of the festival is unpredictable. Starting from July 15th this year, the performance will include Carmina Burana (bran Poetry), which is performed by the National Opera House, the singer songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, the gypsy dance, and so on. Throughout the festival, Cardin himself was everywhere, rehearsed, and entertained VIPs on the sun covered mottled terrace of Sade cafe.

Not everyone in Lacoste village supports Cardin's new vision. His arrival spurred the rise of real estate, angering leftist villagers, especially the Communists who served as village executives for fifty years after World War II. They objected to many of their takeovers, and Cardin often bought local property at a price 3 times higher than the market price. Even if it was a castle in ruins, the population of the small village was decreasing, and the rustic features of the region were also disappearing. They accused Cardin of behaving like an arrogant feudal lord, and many locals boycotted his coffee shop, bakery and souvenir shop, all of which brought back the visiting French press and television reporters.

By 2009, the old socialist executives were unwilling to retire. At the end of the year, Cardin announced that he used 100 acres of free field to create a "Golf sculpture field" in the valley near Bonnieux, and the local people's anger erupted again. However, golf courses are systematically maintained and decorated with huge modern sculptures, attracting tourists all the year round. However, farmers accused Cardin of occupying agricultural land. Environmentalists accused him of wasting valuable water resources in the area.

Aesthetic experts also believe that the whole idea of Cardin is undesirable. (Martha Shearer, a local sculptor, said, "look at Lub e Ron! It was so beautiful that we didn't need a golf course.) last July, on the 14 national day of France, as many as 60 peasant objections sat on the tractor, and some of them took agricultural forks and gathered on the opening night of the Cardin Festival. Among them is Jos Bov Bov, a famed farmer who demolished a McDonald's restaurant in southern France in 1999. Just as the VIP guests will arrive at the premiere of the "Casanova" concert, the demonstrators sealed off the quarry theatre. Finally, Cardin had to swear to seriously consider their objections and meet the demonstrators with the second day, in the hope that the concert would be allowed to continue. Then he agreed to cancel the golf sculpture plan.

Today, the struggle between the competitive villagers and a multimillionaire is going on. Others call it fast. "Lacoste village is the last remaining piece of pure land that has not been developed in the Provence (area)," said Bradbury Kuett, an American writer who lived in China for 15 years. "In addition to Lacoste, other areas of the city have been developed in 1990s, and the whole region is now only a bourgeois theme park. But Lacoste is now gradually assimilated.

Most Americans may think that Cardin will retire on the occasion of his 89 th birthday in July 2nd. In view of his already winning title of the fashion world and the huge income of his brands, in France, at least among the older generation, Cardin is highly regarded as an artistic sponsor. The transformation of Lacoste village is only a small part of his many plans. In the meantime, his Espace Pierre Cardin (Pierre Cardin Xiu) will be performing at the theater complex near the main street. The entertainment programs and meals will be held at Maxim s de Paris, an ancient restaurant bought by Cardin in 1981, and the 2 floor is decorated as a new art style Museum. In the place where Cardin was born, he already had a gorgeous Performance Hall Ca 'Brigadin. His industry also included another notorious eighteenth Century literary celebrity Giacomo Casanova luxury palace. Cardin is already launching its own literary award, Casanova Award. The old urchin never knew that he was going to stop. "People will criticize me for almost everything involved," he said. "But I don't understand why I limit myself. It's ridiculous!"

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"I have created a world. Whether you like it or not," "I" have created a world. As for whether you like it or not, it's another matter. "

Later, in order to understand the legend of Lacoste village, I met Cardin again. Since the 60s of last century, his chief office is located in the gorgeous Rue Du Faubourg Saint-Honor e, which can overlook the Elys e Palace (Elysee Palace) of the presidential residence. In the office, Cardin's seat is in the center. Russian television staff are being interviewed; Greek TV is also coming. Our talks were interrupted, and Cardin, who had been away from the office for 10 minutes, handled the "incident". He is planning to go to So Paulo for the next week, for the new production line and a retro fashion show. His visit to Azerbaijan (China) and China (China) is also his work plan. Cardin enjoys the attention of the outside world. So we talked from one continent to the next. Finally, we finally returned to the village. "Lacoste is a very real place, because it has not been affected by the modernization process," Cardin said. "Now I have a hotel, an apartment, and four castles. In 10 years, I changed the whole village."

When I mentioned his frustrating "sculpture golf course," he recalls. "I hate it," he said. "So I said to them," OK, if you don't want me to rebuild it, I'll go somewhere else. I have other projects! " In order to prove this point, he handed me a project of nearly 1000 feet tall building called Palais Lumi re (Lou re). He plans to build a Light Palace outside the suburbs. It is no better than the present and the six giant circular buildings connected by three heavy glass towers, including 1200 apartments, including restaurants, boutiques, swimming pools and a helicopter apron. There is also a beep mushroom house surrounding the main building. Of course, these mushroom houses are also designed and furnished by Cardin, Pierre Cardin furniture (which he prefers to call "utilitarian sculpture").

Saying goodbye to Cardin and downstairs, I realized that Cardin owned many properties around the palace and had become his shop. The most prominent is Pierre Cardin fashion boutique Street Rue Du Faubourg Saint-Honor Ye. Cardin has never stopped designing customized clothing for individual customers. Last fall, he showed his first product line at the celebration of the decade of the fashion week. Although this boutique is almost blank, one employee revealed that a prince had already placed a huge order in Cardin boutique. Singer Lady Gaga also appeared in Cardin costume in 2010.

On the second afternoon, I returned to Lacoste village and entered the luxurious apartment that I met Cardin two years ago. But this time, the hotel is open and ready for guests to check in. I entered a rich olive green painting room; I had a V shaped light green wardrobe; and a shiny black desk. Open the blinds and view the distant mountains through the rubble roof. It feels like the illusion of the sun, the rugged hills and vineyards bathed in the warm spring sun.

As the first group of tourists this season stroll along its cobblestone alley, they will be delighted to find this picturesque Lacoste village. I walked along the road of the Savannah College of art and design, which retained the overseas study center (English street with an American accent). Most of the year, along the winding course of Sade castle, still felt its glory. The castle was looted in 1792. French law allows Cadin to renovate the castle without making haunted. In memory of the notorious former residents, Cardin also used the only known Sade portrait of the people to build a bronze statue of Marquis Sade. The only portrait depicts the Sade showing his head in the cage, arousing his fate as a martyr of freedom of speech. Several Sade who escaped by the police in history have been taken away in the castle in 1777. He spent his remaining prison life in Bastille (Bastille) and Charenton mental hospital, because he had a serious violent tendency. Later, the word "sadism" came from this famous jazz.

Today, this private castle has become a part of French culture, although many visitors to Sade's strange life story will have a vague concept. After Cardin erected the statue of Sade, the locals feared that Lacoste would become a Sade pilgrimage site. "At the beginning, we predicted that this would attract the abnormal population," said an artist who lived here since 1990s. "Will the village become a perverted place for a perverted person? Fortunately, this has not happened yet. "

On the morning of the second morning, Cardin Fabienne Fillioux, the program leader in the area, arranged for me to conduct in-depth visits to Locaste. She carried a key bag and opened a seemingly endless gallery space, which included several rooms. The guest room was named after the church name of Marquis Sade, and the other room was named after the most notorious Sade pornographic classics. "When these are all ruins, Mr. Cardin buys them," she said, and now its space can hold 200 people. "He has renovated everything, everything!" Each room is decorated with the same fluorescent coloring "this is the favorite color of Mr. Cardin," Fillioux said. Some villagers expressed disdain for Cardin's interior design choices. "Lacoste has become the largest furniture warehouse in Europe," one villager said. "He's dumping things he can't sell!" To give people a pieced feeling, like a temporary, trivial work.

Most villagers questioned Cardin. Many old rooms may never be open for rent. However, Ms. Fillioux asked: "everything will be ready for this summer." Everything! "

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Beyond the holidays, Lacoste looks like a dream of peace. Although there are 420 referendums in the region, many of them live in nearby villages. The annual number of residents is only about 40. But what's the surprising voice of the 40? At Rue Basse, I visited Jacques Truphemus, a retired old man who lived in his Lacoste all her life. He was also a dissenter who hated Cardin's behavior. "Just look at this village, it's like a theater now!" He complained, waving his hand.

The old man's silvery wife, Colette, is cleaning up the related clippings about golf courses last year (she laughs and says, "our objection is getting louder and louder!") Then she hobbled to entertain French tourists who came to support them. It's really a competitive lady. Last February, she blatantly interrupted a French television interview with Cardin, who said she was cool. In some other parts of France, buying a bottle of wine inevitably leads to political problems. I immediately visited Yves Ronchi, director of the Locaste Harmonious Development Association. "Now the whole village has become the Cardin Museum," he sighed. "There will be no family, no children. This man is killing Lacoste! "

"Cardin invested 30 million euros in the village and they want to want"

"Cardin invested 30 million euros in the village, and those people want to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs".

But Cardin's supporters believe that the villagers' obstruction of the king of fashion is wrong. They are the real destroyers. "This is a narrow sense of small farmers" because he is afraid of his neighbor's revenge, he said, unwilling to give his name. Cardin, who is a strong man, said: "There is a man who makes big businesses from the bottom to the bottom, and they are everywhere. Everything is destined that the village is no longer as peaceful as before. Cardan has invested 30 million euros in local investment. They tried to kill the golden goose! "

Another said, "this is an extreme practice." "The villagers who believe in socialism try their best to prevent Cardan's plan. At present, there is no industry in the area, and the land is idle. If we lose the only pillar of tourism, will this area survive? "

Lacoste is still fascinating because of the division of war lines. "Money is everything for Cardin," Jacques Truphemus countered. "Many villagers can not resist his money temptation, especially young people, so there are fewer children growing up here, but the quality of life is far more important than money. I grew up here, and I am very happy here."

Although Lacoste has become a French farce, it is part of the twenty-first Century classic story at a broader level. The high price of real estate in other rich areas of northern Europe has been so high that many locals have to move out. The refurbished farms can be sold in the millions. The owners confirm that the village will be full in summer, and that in late autumn, it will remain cold until spring. The social rift between the bourgeois nouveau riche and the local aborigines who are on vacation is a global contradiction. From the Greek islands to the outskirts of the beach, to the east of the village, there is a series of changes, and the indigenous people of the farm community try their best to get their land.

But it is too early to draw the report of Lacoste's death. Last night I was in the village just Saturday, so I visited an art studio, which was transformed by medieval cellars by local artists, many of whom were born in foreign countries. At the reception desk, guests from the surrounding area are next to the city hall, merging French, German, English, Spanish and Swedish into a modern Esperanto. Meanwhile, the boycott against the Sade cafe on the other side of the village has ended. The villagers shoulder shoulder to shoulder with the idle tourists. The carnival lasts till 2 a.m.

The carnival ended, and the son of a 20 year old farmer stared at the village square in the moonlight. "Indeed, everything is changing here," he meditated thoughtfully until late at night. "But maybe a little change is not bad either."