Pierre Hardy has had an illustrious career as an accessories designer, holding creative leadership over shoes and fine jewelry at Hermès since 1990 and 2001, respectively — including the launch of the Hermès Apple watch — and notable shoe collaborations with Balenciaga during Nicolas Ghesquiere’s tenure. He launched his own label in 1999 with pieces often described as architectural, graphic and geometric, with pops of vivid color — pushing the limits of form and structure beyond seasonal trends.
He had atypical, albeit very much artistic, beginnings that didn’t lend to a career path as a designer. Hardy trained as a self-proclaimed “very good amateur” dancer for 15 years, illustrated fashion reports for Vogue International and Italian Vanity Fair, worked as a stylist at Christian Dior, and taught fine arts in an academic setting up until four years ago.
On Thursday night, the designer sat down with journalist Melissa Ceria to close out the Art de Vivre program at the French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF). The two talked about Hardy’s career trajectory, including his 27 years of working at Hermès, thoughts on Ghesquiere, his first Pierre Hardy shoes, and the current state of fashion (and how he likes it).
Here, highlights from the conversation:
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