From Miami to Tangier, via the French Riviera, Cascais and the Hamptons, the biggest names in fashion have found summer retreats far from the catwalks and spotlights where they can express their creative genius. Mythical villas, family homes, secret workshops, and castles—each of these exceptional places embodies the spirit, audacity, and art of living of their famous owners.
This summer, LUXUS MAGAZINE takes you on a weekly tour of a prestigious residence: a nine-part journey through the iconic vacation spots of the world’s greatest fashion designers. In this episode, we follow in the footsteps of Pierre Cardin and his Palais Bulles in Théoule-sur-Mer.
Nestled in the hollow of the red rocks of the Estérel, the Palais Bulles seems to float between the Mediterranean Sea and the sky. Designed by Hungarian architect Antti Lovag in 1975 for industrialist Pierre Bernard, this architectural vessel made of ochre spheres became the summer retreat of fashion designer Pierre Cardin in 1992. A place of retreat and creation, but also of parties, shows, and artistic encounters.
With its organic lines, portholes opening onto the sea, lush patios, and suspended swimming pools, the Palais Bulles is a living manifesto of formal freedom. It embodies the idea ofa house without angles, where architecture and nature interact in a rare sensory harmony.
Pierre Cardin never did things like everyone else. In fashion, he was one of the pioneers of futuristic haute couture, dressing modern men in space suits, asymmetrical capes and sculptural dresses. In the art of living, he always sought to amaze, to renew and to break with convention. When he discovered the Palais Bulles in 1992, Cardin spoke of “the craziest love at first sight” and added, “I bought it as a sculpture you can live in.” He acquired it to use as a retreat and a place of total expression. He always loved unusual places: the Théâtre des Ambassadeurs (renamed Espace Pierre Cardin in the 1970s), the Château du Marquis de Sade in Lacoste… Here, in Théoule-sur-Mer, he set up a creative sanctuary where fashion, design, architecture, and nature merge into one.
A living sculpture: the manifesto of organic architecture
Made up of around 30 red-tinted concrete bubbles covered in marine paint, the Palais Bulles stretches over more than 1,200 square meters and comprises a reception hall that can seat 350 people, a panoramic lounge, and 10 suites, each decorated by contemporary artists such as Patrice Breteau, Jérôme Tisserand, Daniel You, François Chauvin, and Gérard Le Cloarec—a swimming pool, waterfalls, and hanging gardens covering an area of 8,500 square meters, and an open-air amphitheater measuring 370 square meters with seating for 500.
Hungarian architect Antti Lovag designed the space as a sensory, almost carnal exploration. “It’s like entering a human body,” said Lovag.
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Featured Photo: Palais Bulles
