At nearly 90, Pierre Cardin makes comeback

PARIS — Pierre Cardin, the man who invented Paris menswear shows back in the 1950s, has staged a long-awaited comeback.

The legendary designer, famed for dressing the Beatles in collar-less jackets and taking high fashion to communist China, celebrated his long career on Sunday with his first menswear catwalk show in several years, showcasing his signature space-age designs.

It was by far the most exhaustive menswear collection of the season, with a staggering 138 retro looks.

If none of the clothes felt very contemporary — chunky sweaters, collar-less suits and retro space age neoprene jackets — this was perhaps unsurprising: The designer turns ninety next week.

But despite his age, and a resume that spans 65 years, retirement is not in his vocabulary.

"Aesthetics is simply my craft," said the designer backstage, "I've still got gasoline for tomorrow."

The multimillionaire, who worked with Elsa Schiaparelli and Christian Dior in his twenties, has not been slowed by age.

"I was the youngest couturier in Paris when I started, and now I'm the oldest. It's extraordinary, I'm still here!"

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Thomas Adamson can be followed at http://Twitter.com/ThomasAdamsonAP