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A WORLD OF ACCESSORIES A WORLD OF ACCESSORIES
As a student, Pierre Hardy studied fine arts and was a dedicated dance student. As a
graduate of l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, he has taught scenography at the Rue Blanche
School and currently teaches at the Ecole Supérieure des Arts Appliqués Duperré.
Pierre’s passion for shoe design began while he was a design assistant at Christian
Dior. His insight and eye for detail quickly lead to a promotion designing the shoe
collections for the luxury fashion house.
Expanding on his talents as a teacher and designer, Pierre Hardy illustrated for various
fashion magazines such as Vogue Homme International and Vanity Fair, and, for a time,
was Artistic Director for the “Young Designers International Festival in Hyères”.
In 1990, Pierre Hardy was named Creative Director of the women’s, and later men’s,
footwear collections at Hermès. In 2001 he added Creative Director of Hermès Jewelry
to his job description and began a complementary collaboration with Nicolas
Ghesquière for Balenciaga with innovative designs.
Following successful collections for various fashion houses, Pierre Hardy launched a
shoe collection for women under his own label in the spring of 1999. In 2002 and 2006,
respectively, he added a men’s line and handbags to the Pierre Hardy collections.
INSPIRATION
Pierre Hardy’s designs are born from his passion for sketching and he focuses much of
his attention on this. The sketches are a way for Pierre to express his thoughts and to
test the strength of an idea.
Pierre Hardy is logical in his method. He works with volume and graphic images rather
than trends. His influences come from design, architecture, conceptual art – never
fashion history.
STYLE
A signature style was established from the very first season: a radical one. The different
collections included cutting-edge pieces with pointy shapes and razor-sharp heels.
Pierre Hardy footwear is comparable to miniature architectural designs with clean lines
and sculptural volume that tend towards simplicity. The result is a distinct style that is
both graphic and sensual.
Women
Pierre Hardy likes a long, lean silhouette, perched high on arched shoes.
His heels, frequently stilettos, are commanding and bold.
Avoiding clichés in an effort to convey a timeless elegance, Pierre favors classic
materials: box calf, patent leather, kid, satin. Taking a selective stand even with an
often-narrow color range, Pierre Hardy regularly sticks to black and white.
Desert Boots and unisex Sneakers
Since fall 2002 Pierre has devoted himself to reworking the desert boot, an eternal
classic. By emphasizing the shape of the boot with various materials and playing with
the color palette of the leather, the box calf or the crepe soles, the designer has given a
new energy to this symbol of youthful nonchalance.
For fall 2006, Pierre Hardy’s sneakers were launched evoking the spirit of the ‘80s; old
school, whether laced or with velcro, high-tops or low.
Bags
The Pierre Hardy bag collection is a mix of contrasts. The contrast between strong
design and the suppleness of the materials. The contrast between imposing volumes
and the lightness of the bags.
The bag’s created by a large oblique that outlines the bag’s form and details. There are
no distracting logos, rivets, zips or closures. Pierre Hardy brings sensuality out of a
graphic rigor.
Nicole Kidman has walked the red carpet at the Oscars in a vestal slipper, Sarah Jessica
Parker spied in the streets of New York with a suede bag under her arm, Amira Casar
seen at a movie première in platform pumps, and the list goes on. Each image provides
a different interpretation of the Pierre Hardy style.
Other Pierre Hardy devotees include: Kate Bosworth, Jennifer Connelly, Cameron Diaz,
Madonna, Demi Moore, Hillary Swank, Uma Thurman, Kylie Minogue, Kate Moss,
Joanna Preiss, Chloé Sevigny.
There is also a strong following behind the men’s collection; P.Diddy, Elton John, Franz
Ferdinand, The Strokes and Daft Punk are all fans of the Pierre Hardy brand.
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
2002: “Talent de l’audace” – Talents du Luxe – Luxury & Creativity Summit – Paris
2006: “Designer of the Year 2006” –Footwear News International – Fairchild
Publications.
2006: “Best Shoes Design” 2006 – Wallpaper magazine.
2007: Publication of the book “Success is a Job in Paris”. |
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