Pierre Cardin

"It is because I am convinced that each one of us must be the artisan of a better world, that I accept, with deep emotion, this title of Goodwill Ambassador.

You can count on my personal engagement to support FAO in its noble and necessary mission in favour of the fight against hunger in the world and to utilise all the exceptionnal opportunities that I benefit from to enhance awareness of the importance of this fight that we must, we have to win".

Pierre Cardin has been one of the most recognizable names in the world of fashion for over half a century and among the five best known Frenchmen in the world since 1960.  Though he made his name in France, the designer was born in a small town in Italy in 1922.

He came from obscurity but very quickly became one of the top fashion designers in the world and was the trailblazer for the soft and floppy fashion look of the 1950s and 1960s. Cardin gained fame for his avant-garde style and the innovative shapes and designs. He developed the first line of clothes for men by a couturier and continually changed and expanded the world of fashion with his creations over the years. He is considered a living legend in the fashion industry. Cardin was the first couturier to turn to Japan as a high fashion market when he travelled there in 1959.

In addition to being a fashion designer, he is also a successful businessman and philantrophist.

Pierre Cardin is a member of the Académie Française (1992) and the Académie des Beaux Arts.

An untiring advocate for tolerance and mutual understanding, Pierre Cardin takes advantage of his travels to spread a message of solidarity and brotherhood. He has initiated many humanitarian projects and organized numerous public campaigns in particular for the benefit of Chernobyl nuclear disaster victims.

Pierre Cardin was nominated FAO Goodwill Ambassador on 16 October 2009.