The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) reopened its stunning location in Lacoste, France. The creative campus, which immerses students in a preserved medieval village, is renowned for its focus on art and design education. Since 2002, the dynamic location in Provence has offered SCAD students and alumni access to more than 30 revitalized historic structures, which host unforgettable exhibitions, talks, workshops, and more.
SCAD Lacoste, courtesy of SCAD.
Thus summer, SCAD hosts a new exhibition entitled “Notre Ami, Pierre Cardin” through September 3. In memory of the late French designer, who passed away last year, the show features fantastical garments alongside two films produced by the university—including I Am Thinking of Pierre Cardin, which was awarded Best Fashion Documentary at the London Film Festival.
Installation view, “Notre Ami, Pierre Cardin” at SCAD Lacoste, courtesy of SCAD.
The unforgettable homage to Cardin is set within a futuristic installation that evokes remarkable details from Cardin’s famous Palais Bulles residence near Cannes. Curated by the head of fashion exhibitions at SCAD, Rafael Gomes, in collaboration with Pierre Cardin Paris and Rodrigo Basilicati, the exhibition is a special tribute to the designer who had a treasured friendship with SCAD and its President and Founder, Paula Wallace.
Installation view, “Notre Ami, Pierre Cardin” at SCAD Lacoste, courtesy of SCAD.
“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,” said Jean-Pascal Hesse, Director of Communications, Pierre Cardin brand.
SCAD Lacoste also welcomes a new chapter at SCAD Alumni Atelier. Since 2015, the artist residency has welcomed graduates back to utilize time, space, resources, and business education on the historic campus. Now in its sixth year, the SCAD Alumni Atelier has supported and expanded an array of alumni ventures—including fashion brands, jewelry collections, screenplays, feature films,
exhibitions, and more—to commit to the lifelong success of its students.
SCAD Lacoste, courtesy of SCAD.
For the summer season, SCAD Alumni Atelier associateship welcomes back a new roster of graduate talent, including 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), and William M. Ruller (M.F.A., painting, 2013). Their time in Lacoste will span an array of reconnecting activities, including mentoring new students, engaging with staff, participating in career and alumni services, and more. While there, the creatives will also create new work in personal studios within SCAD Lacoste’s medieval caves and share their works with both students and the public throughout the summer.
Serge Ruffato in the SCAD Alumni Atelier in Lacoste, courtesy of SCAD.
“It is an honor to represent SCAD through the Alumni Atelier. I truly love taking part in this venture to celebrate alumni careers with a residency this summer in beautiful Lacoste. The marriage between the medieval history of the place and the powerful resource of SCAD makes for an ideal place to create art in contemporary tradition. I am thrilled for the opportunity and for the support of my SCAD family,” said Ruffato.
This summer, SCAD Lacoste also reopened shopSCAD—a boutique retail space and gallery located on the Rue Saint-Trophime. Inside, guests can explore an evolving offering of special goods created by SCAD students, alumni, and faculty, including jewelry, accessories, apparel, stationery, home décor, and unique gifts.
Elise Hamon-Ruller, SCAD Art Sales Manager of Lacoste, in shopSCAD, courtesy of SCAD.
“Summer sunshine bathes France’s Luberon Valley in lavender hues and beckons adventurers to SCAD Lacoste, where enthralling exhibitions and explorations await. 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,” said Wallace. “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!
