| Pierre Hardy | |
| Birth Date: | 1956 2, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Paris, France |
| Occupation: | Fashion designer |
Pierre Hardy (born 1 February 1956) is a French fashion designer who specializes in luxury footwear. Hardy is known for designing high-end women's shoes and men's sneakers.[1]
Hardy was born in Paris.[2] His mother was a ballet instructor and his father taught athletics.[3] He pursued a teaching degree in plastic arts[3] and taught at art schools, includings at his alma mater École Duperré in Paris.[4] After graduation, he joined a modern dance troupe and drew illustrations for European fashion magazines such as Vanity Fair Italia and Vogue Hommes.[3]
In 1987, Hardy took a position styling shoes at Christian Dior.[2] [3]
From 1990 until 1999, Hardy worked under Claude Brouet at Hermès,[4] where he was responsible for men's and women's shoes. At Hermès, he created classics that include the Oran sandal in 1997.[4] For the spring/summer 1998 collection, he developed the Quick trainer, making Hermès the first luxury brand to design a trainer made entirely of leather. In 2001, Hermès added jewelry to his responsibilities.[1]
In 1999, Hardy launched his eponymous brand, Pierre Hardy.[5] Within a year, he sold 5,000 pairs to stores like Neiman Marcus and Barneys New York.[4] Today the brand sells luxury shoe and fashion accessories for men and women.[2] In 2016, he sold a minority stake of his company to Hermès.[4]
From 2001, Hardy also oversaw women's shoes for Balenciaga, under the leadership of Nicolas Ghesquière. He left Balenciaga when Ghesquière did, in 2012.[4] He also collaborated with the Gap Inc. in 2011, and with the makeup brand NARS Cosmetics in 2013.[1]
In 2016, Hardy was awarded with the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.[6]
Hardy was in a seven-year relationship with Nicolas Ghesquière.[7] He is married to Christopher Turnier.[4]
| Country | Number of stores | Cities | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris (1) | 156, Galerie de Valois 75001 Paris[8] | ||
| 1 | New York City (1) | 30, Jane Street 10014 New York | ||
| 1 | Tokyo (1) | Minami Aoyama Yusen Building A-103 5-5-25 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku |