LACOSTE, FRANCE —The Savannah College of Art and Design is pleased to announce the re-opening of SCAD Lacoste, an imaginative center for the study of art and design sited in the beautifully preserved medieval village of Lacoste in the Provence region of France. In2002, SCAD acquired the site and meticulously revitalized more than 30 historic structures. This summer, SCAD will host dynamic activations throughout SCAD Lacoste, inspiring students, alumni, and visitors to the region. On Monday, June 28, the exhibition Notre Ami, Pierre Cardin, the university’s latest ode and homage to the indomitable designer, opens to the public, with a preview reception Saturday, June 26, 6–8 p.m. The exhibition features exceptional garments and two films produced by the university — including I Am Thinking of Pierre Cardin, awarded Best Fashion Documentary at the London Film Festival — celebrating Cardin’s remarkable life story. The exhibition is set in an installation reminiscent of Cardin’s famous Palais Bulles, his dream residence near Cannes and a future-forward architectural marvel that rivaled his greatest fashion creations.

Notre Ami, Pierre Cardin highlights the designer’s long and treasured friendship with the university that began with the establishment of SCAD Lacoste in the historic village, which Cardin, a longtime resident, knew would serve as an endless source of inspiration for young artists. For nearly two decades, Cardin embraced the role of mentor, engaging hundreds of SCAD students across the university’s top-ranked degree programs — from fashion to architecture and beyond. In 2008, the university honored Cardin with the SCAD Étoile for his contributions to the fields of fashion and design as well as his role in the historic restoration and cultural life of Lacoste. In 2018, the university’s SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta originated the exhibition Pierre Cardin: Pursuit of the Future, a major retrospective presented in partnership with the Pierre Cardin Museum in Paris that included iconic looks from the 1950s held in the SCAD Permanent Collection.

Notre Ami, Pierre Cardin is curated by Rafael Gomes, head of fashion exhibitions at SCAD, in collaboration with Pierre Cardin Paris and Rodrigo Basilicati.

“Summer sunshine bathes France’s Luberon Valley in lavender hues and beckons adventurers to SCAD Lacoste, where enthralling exhibitions and explorations await,” says SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. “The SCAD Alumni Atelier’s Rue des Artistes invites visitors into working studios of SCAD grads — a jeweler whose cast-bronze works echo influences of medieval French architecture, an en plein air painter whose new series evokes the region’s refulgence, and more. SCAD additionally presents an exhibition that honors the incomparable Pierre Cardin, who lived in Lacoste for many years before his death in 2020. SCAD Lacoste welcomes the world to tour higher education’s premier international destination. À bientôt!”

“This long-awaited event—at the end of several months of lockdown — will put the emphasis on the futurist aesthetic of the great designer, and the choice of models on display underscores Cardin’s taste for experimentation and his contribution to fashion today,” says Jean-Pascal Hesse, Director of Communication for the Pierre Cardin brand.

Visitors to Lacoste can also experience the creative process firsthand as they observe working artists selected for the prestigious SCAD Alumni Atelier, an elite artist residency conceptualized and endowed by SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. Originated in 2015, the SCAD Alumni Atelier offers visionary graduates the time, space, resources, and business education to thrive creatively and professionally. As ambassadors or associates, alumni advance their careers, strengthen their connection to the university, and join a select cohort of emerging and established entrepreneurs, artists, designers, and scholars. Now in its sixth year, the SCAD Alumni Atelier has disbursed more than $1 million in support of new or expanded alumni ventures including fashion brands, jewelry collections, screenplays, feature films, exhibitions, and more — a testament to the university’s lifelong commitment to the SCAD community.

A new opportunity launched in 2021, the SCAD Alumni Atelier associateship encourages graduates to pursue their creative practice with a focus on engagement with the SCAD community. While creating, ideating, or brand building, associates reconnect with faculty, serve as student mentors, and engage with staff in admission, communications, and career and alumni success. SCAD Alumni Atelier associates Melinda Borysevicz (B.F.A., painting, 2011), Masako Maupu Masukawa (M.F.A., illustration, 1995; B.F.A., illustration, 1992), Liz Robb (M.F.A., fibers, 2014), Serge Ruffato (B.F.A., sculpture, 2012), William M. Ruller (M.F.A., painting, 2013) will create new work in personal studios within the university’s enchanting medieval caves and share their artistic practice with students and the public throughout the summer.

The university will also reopen shopSCAD in Lacoste. Nested on the Rue Saint-Trophime, the boutique retail space and gallery features an ever-changing melange of original jewelry, accessories, apparel, stationery, home décor, and unique gifts by SCAD students, alumni, and faculty.

Hours:

Exhibition: Monday – Friday: 10am to noon and 2pm – 5pm

Atelier: Monday – Friday: 10am to noon and 2pm – 5pm

shopSCAD: Monday – Friday: 9am to 1pm and 2pm – 6pm