Inside Claudia Cardinale's wardrobe
Mode
Sotheby's is auctioning 130 haute couture and ready-to-wear models worn by the actress, from her everyday outfits to her formal dresses. A dive into the wardrobe of this ambassador of Made in Italy cinema, and into the first hours of transalpine fashion glory.
By Claire Begin
“When I arrived in Italy, [fashion] was my first encounter with my roots. I felt Italian. I recognized myself in its sobriety and its taste. In the mid-1950s, Claudia Cardinale flew from her native Tunisia and discovered Italy, in the middle of the Venice Festival. At first intimidated by this industry of which she knows little, she will take her first steps in the cinema only three years later, in Goha, by Jacques Baratier. At that time, Italian fashion took off. American financial aid from the Marshall Plan enabled the country to revive its economy after the war and the textile sector is booming. With him, a new generation of designers is born, who, carried by a Hollywood cinema piqued with love for Italian landscapes, emancipate themselves from the global influence of French couture and come to seduce new actresses in sight. Claudia Cardinale is one of them.
130 looks on sale at Sotheby's
Through the 130 lots on sale until tomorrow evening at Sotheby's, the story of increasingly daring Italian fashion, of this flared strapless dress in ecru satin by Emilio Schuberth with the craziest creations of the 70s, such as this long Balestra pleated chiffon dress, with a long collar, shaded yellow, pink and mauve. It is also the emancipation of Claudia Cardinale herself that shines through, with increasingly daring choices over time, such as this silk shantung pajama set by Irene Galitzine, similar to the one the actress wears in The Pink Panther by Blake Edwards; this dress in chiffon and embroidered tulle Balestra that she wore at the closing ceremony of the Biennale in 1975; or this long Nina Ricci sheath dress, entirely embroidered with black and gray sequins, with flowers at the neckline, worn in 1965 for the 37th Academy Awards. Claudia Cardinale has long remained loyal to the brand. “Nina Ricci offered me elegance and lightness. It's both classic and refreshing. Volumes are never too heavy. I also find the brand very feminine. The turquoise silk Nina Ricci coat trimmed with black fur that the designer wore on the cover of the Italian magazine Noi Donne in December 1959 is estimated between €5,000 and €7,000.
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