Pierre Cardin, born on July 7, 1922, near Venice, Italy, to French parents. In the age of 23 he moved to his ethnical motherland to Paris where he began studying architecture and working with Paquin after the war, then with Schiaparelli until he became head of Christian Dior's tailleure atelier in 1947, but was denied work at Balenciaga. In 1950 he founded his own Pierre Cardin fashion house and began with haute couture in 1953. Pierre Cardin became known in Paris for his avant-garde style and his space age designs with his geometric shapes and motifs, often ignoring the female form. This new Pierre Cardin trend advanced into unisex fashions, sometimes experimental, and not always practical, soon introducing the "bubble dress". It was Cardin, the first couturier to turn to Japan as a high fashion market when he travelled there in 1959. The same year he was expelled from the Chambre Syndicale for launching a ready-to-wear collection for the Printemps department store as the first couturier in Paris, but was soon readmitted. In 1966 however, he did resign from the Chambre Syndicale and now presents his collections in his own venue, the Espace Cardin (opened 1971) in Paris, formerly the Théâtre des Ambassadeurs, near the American Embassy. In Cardin's fashion house Espace Cardin he also promoted new artistic talents, like theater ensembles, musicians, etc. Cardin had a fellow designer, Andrè Oliver, who joined him in 1971 and took responsibility for the haute couture collections in 1987, died in 1993. Pierre Cardin was a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture et du Prêt-à-Porter and of the Maison du Haute Couture from 1953 to 1993. Like many other fashion designers today, Cardin decided in 1994 to show his collection only to selected clients and journalists. He also purchased Maxim's restaurants in 1981 and soon opened branches in New York, London, and Beijing (1983). As well as a chain of Maxim's Hotels are now included in the assets. Cardin has also licenced a wide range of food products under his name. Pierre Cardin owns the ruins of the castle in Lacoste, Vaucluse that was formerly inhabitated by the Marquis de Sade. He has partially renovated the site and regularly organizes theatre festivals and celebrations there.