Pierre Cardin & Albert Roux – two shining stars

Two creative geniuses from different fields have died within days of each other recently. Pierre Cardin, one of the great and avant-garde fashion designers; and Albert Roux, the chef who along with his brother, brought classic French cuisine and Michelin stars to Britain.  Both were from poor families who apprenticed early on in their respective trade, rose up the ladder and, both with a head for business, made themselves standout successes.

  Cardin was born 2 July 1922 2pm San Biagio di Callalta, Italy, worked with Jean Cocteau on theatre costumes, migrated to Dior and then independence. “My clothes aren’t fun,” he said, “they are worrying; it’s like listening to contemporary music.” His flair for branding established a new tradition in haute couture.

Albert Roux, 8 October 1935 5.30pm Semur-en-Brionnais, France, was the son of a pork butcher who left school at 14, trained with a pâtissier, served in the French Army in Algeria and came to England as the private chef for the Cazalets, friends of the Queen Mother. He was a notorious perfectionist with a strong head for business, and it was usually he rather than his brother Michel who negotiated deals for the Roux empire. He was a natural on TV shows, ran several restaurants and was retained as a consultant by airlines and hotels all over the world.

  Cardin had a much-travelled and controlling 9th house Sun Pluto in Cancer square a Libra Moon. Cancer is often a fashion designer’s sign and has a nose for public taste. A Libra Moon would attract him to elegance though his avant-garde creations were not always to everyone’s taste. He had a 10th house Venus Neptune in Leo giving him artistic and design talent and it held a significant place in his chart being on one leg of a Yod in sextile to his Moon Jupiter and inconjunct a 5th house maverick Uranus, which last would give him his liking for wayout designs. His Mars in colourful Sagittarius was in his financial 2nd trine his Venus Neptune.

  Roux had a hard-working 6th house Libra Sun, a controlling 4th house Pluto, Mars in Sagittarius in his financial 8th; and a maverick Aquarius Moon square Jupiter in money-magnet Scorpio. His Uranus was in his 1st.

   There are strong similarities between them – both with Mars in a financial house; both with an Air Moon aspecting Jupiter; both with a standout Uranus, the torchbearer leading the way. And probably most importantly of all they both had Jupiter in aspect to Pluto giving them confidence and drive.  

A world away from politics and a dash of glamour.

9 thoughts on “Pierre Cardin & Albert Roux – two shining stars

  1. In Roux’s chart Taurus rules the second house which could indicate his talents, values and how he earned his money. For me, Venus in Virgo (conjunct Neptune) suggests the discriminating perfectionism and fastidiousness required for fine dining ‘excellence’. (I think Gordon Ramsey has a strong Virgo emphasis in his chart, too). Mars in Sagittarius in 8th house – he accumulated his wealth, set up a culinary empire/dynasty in the UK, away from his birth country, as well as running restaurants around the world. The rulers of Cancer IC and Capricorn MC are conjunct so the idea of a ‘legacy’ career makes so much sense especially as the IC/ MC axis conjuncts the nodes and squares the focal point Sun in Libra. The Moon in Aquarius with its need to relate to the wider social group and the public is ruled by Uranus in Taurus – so maybe there is a Taurus/ foodie connection.

  2. Interesting about the chefs, although possibly the tv chef is sometimes different than the passionate chef in their kitchen, who maybe doesn’t do tv. I looked at Michel Roux Jnr, and he has Sun Gemini, with Moon and Venus in Taurus and Mars in Aries. Gordon Ramsay is Scorpio Sun and Venus, Moon and Mars in Virgo, and NN in Taurus. Rick Stein is Capricorn, Moon Taurus, Mars Capricorn, and Jupiter and Venus in Scorpio. So some Taurus around, but I think Taurus often needs security, and the restaurant business is generally pretty risky. Some Taureans might be too risk averse to commit to a career in that sector, but make wonderful food at home. Most of the Taureans I know mainly enjoy eating, probably more than making the food! Perhaps there are more of them in the sweet Venus ruled area of patisserie or chocolates? Also, in the back of my mind, I think Cancer may rule hotels? Cancer would be drawn to feeding others, too.

    • Yes, I am wondering about that too. The only one I could think of is the multi-talented Brillat-Savarin, 1st April, 1755. He recommended a low-carb diet a very long time ago! Anyway, Aries with Sagittarius Moon – but if you include the main asteroids there’s a grand trine in earth, Saturn in Capricorn, NN Virgo, Pallas and Vesta in Taurus. I liked that conjunction of Pallas and Vesta as a symbol – the strategy of Pallas with the hearth and fire of Vesta representing cooking with precision. They also square his Venus and Mars in Aquarius – he wrote about hospitality and the care of guests, as well as food.

  3. I first thought Roux had a surprising chart for a chef, I would have expected more Cancer and/or Taurus there. Then took a second glance – and Thank Goodness for French recording TOB on birth records since Napoleonic times I think these were trustworthy by the early 20th century – and noticed Cancer IC. And sure enough, food business was likely something he fell into because of the family tradition. In my experience, Cancer IC can indicate a “legacy” profession (favorite example: an Indian heritage friend whose parents come from some sort of a merchant subcaste and has a Cancer IC… there are other indicators too, and she is always miserable trying to anything not having an aspect of selling goods). If he’d been son to a banker, he’d likely become a successful banker, lawyer a successful lawyer, even military officer, a successful military officer (Mars in Sadgittarius). Post-War France being still arguably even more rigidly classist than The UK, there was very little choice, so good he could channel his childhood experience with knowledge on ingredients to a career, and even start a dynasty of his own.

    • So did I and then I remembered years back doing chefs charts – I’ll try to find it – and surprisingly few had as much Taurus as I expected. Though I suppose Moon Jupiter fits and Venus in an earth sign.

      • Heavens it was way back in 2012.

        “There is remarkably little Taurus around the high profile chefs and cooks who write books and are television personalities. Ferran Adria is the only one I could find with a Taurus Sun – he of El Bulli, greatest restaurant in the world in north east Spain until it closed.

        The great Auguste Escoffier was a Scorpio Sun, Aquarius Moon. Marco Pierre White is a Sagittarius Sun Aquarius Moon. Nigella Lawson is Sun Capricorn Aries Moon. Delia Smith is Gemini Sun Aries Moon. Jamie Oliver is Gemini Sun with Capricorn Moon. Julia Child was Leo Sun with Virgo/Libra Moon.

        A Taurus Moon/Sun is highly indulgent but clearly not necessary to create the sumptuous repasts of the above. Perhaps also some of these are ambitious public personalities and/or writers as much as they are cooks. There is a pattern of Moon Jupiter aspects and in some Moon Pluto. Moon Jupiter is indulgent and Moon Pluto seeks to control with perhaps food as the tempter.

        • @Marjorie, interestingly, many TV chefs here. Could be that Taurus chefs aren’t as good communicators? The most famous Finnish Chef, Hans Välimäki, whose Chez Dominique’s lack of third Michelin star became kind of a case since it frequently made TOP50 list compiled by pros, is a Sun Taurus/Mars/Saturn, likely Scorpio Moon. But he has Aries too. Interestingly, he started at “Ready, Steady, Cook”.

          But I agree, there was a time I dined more outside (even before covid-19, I mean), sometimes at celebrity chef/ starred places, and I tended to google chefs’ DOBs. And generally speaking I’ve see lot more Scorpio and Cancer with a Fire Sign or two than Taurus.

  4. I read about the passing of Cardin; with the noise in Washington, his passing was drowned out by the shouts of Tee-shirted, blue-jean hooligans.

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