Paul Poiret: Fashion is a Feast

Born in Paris in 1879, Paul Poiret began his career as an apprentice in several fashion houses. From 1898, he trained under Jacques Doucet, and in 1901 he joined the Worth house, then run by the two sons of the founder of haute couture. In these houses, Poiret observed and absorbed the fundamentals of the couture profession: interaction with clients and teamwork. These experiences inspired him to create his own fashion house in 1903.

Here, he defined a new aesthetic for the female body, in motion and without restraint, breaking away from the S-shaped silhouette of the early century. His simplified line was highly modern, as exemplified by the Joséphine evening gown, a masterpiece from his 1907 “Manifesto” collection inspired by the Directoire style. The waist is raised under the bust and held inside the dress by a lightly boned grosgrain ribbon. Poiret used light fabrics and bright, acid colors, with a palette reminiscent of Fauvism, a movement of the early 20^th century.

He catered to an affluent and cultured clientele eager for novelty. He surrounded himself with innovative artists with whom he collaborated and collected, such as (Paul Iribe, Raoul Dufy, Maurice de Vlaminck, or Georges Lepape). After the First World War, during which he was drafted, Poiret found inspiration in his travels and the lavish parties he threw. The 1920s were marked by excessive spending to support his extravagant lifestyle and the expansion of his businesses (his fashion house, Martine, and Les Parfums de Rosine). In 1925, at his own expense, he participated in the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts: he chartered three barges on the Seine to present his universe. This event turned out to be a financial disaster. He was forced to sell his fashion house in November 1924 and to leave it permanently in December 1929.

The exhibition is both chronological and thematic, immersing visitors in modern Paris at the beginning of the 20^th century. It highlights the beginnings of Paul Poiret’s career, tracing the foundations of his creative genius at Doucet and Worth. It gradually reveals his relationships and highlights his innovations. Visitors will discover the many facets of the designer, whose practice is closer to that of a conductor than that of a simple couturier. The journey is punctuated by works by artists who accompanied Poiret throughout his life. Among them is the decorator and architect Louis Süe, who designed his fashion house on the Avenue d’Antin. Poiret was a talent scout who supported young artists and often formed lasting friendships with them, as was the case with Raoul Dufy. Their collaboration produced unique creations such as the La Perse coat (1911), designed by Poiret and printed by Dufy. In addition to artists, Poiret mingled with wealthy and cosmopolitan members of society, clients of the great fashion houses. This was the case with the American avant-garde collector and gallerist.

From 1909, Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes performed in Paris. Poiret attended their performances, which were characterized by a fusion of the arts (music, dance, sets and costumes). He was struck by their modernity, which he translated into his own work. Photographs of the dancer Tamara Karsavina in Scheherazade are displayed next to a drawing by Léon Bakst, the ballet’s set designer. Poiret dressed dancers such as Isadora Duncan and Nyota Inyoka.

He was deeply influenced by his many travels in Europe and North Africa. He recounted some of these experiences in his memoirs, Dressing the Age (1930), even mentioning his culinary and olfactory adventures. He incorporated fabrics and embroideries brought back from his travels into his fashion designs, often naming his outfits after the places he visited, such as Marrakech and Toledo.

The exhibition also highlights the spectacular parties organized by the couturier through several costumes. These include Les Festes de Bacchus and the famous La Mille et Deuxième Nuit, to which Poiret invited his artist friends (Kees van Dongen and Dunoyer de Segonzac) as well as high society. These soirees were social events that were chronicled by the press of the time and served as promotional events for his fashion house.

Poiret’s private life is revealed through photographs and family portraits of his wife Denise Poiret, their children, and his sister Nicole Groult. This section highlights precious moments of his private life.

The exhibition also presents Poiret’s many talents: in addition to being a couturier, he was a painter, actor, writer, restaurateur, and musician. This multidisciplinary approach was evident in the three barges he built at his own expense during the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts. Like a conductor, Poiret sought to create a total work of art. His ability to bring together different disciplines is reflected in the two companies he founded in 1911: Martine, dedicated to interior design and divided into a school and a workshop, and Les Parfums de Rosine. To create a perfume, he brought together several talents. For Arlequinade (1923), for example, the bottle was designed by the artist Marie Vassilieff and made by the sculptor and glassmaker Julien Viard, while the fragrance was created by the perfumer Henri Alméras.

The exhibition concludes with a look at Poiret’s influence on post-war cinema, for example in L’Inhumaine by Marcel L’Herbier. This section is complemented by Poiret’s influence on 20^th and 21^st century designers and couturiers: Christian Lacroix, Yves Saint Laurent and John Galliano. Paul Poiret was the first couturier to hire artists to work on his textiles, decorations, illustrations, and other means of communication. He is thus the pioneer of what we now call “collaborations,” a common practice between fashion brands and artists since the early 2000s.