Paul Poiret, fashion is a party 🎉

 

I decided the Paul Poiret exhibit at MAD/musée des Arts Décoratifs 

Was so full of color and pattern. 

Only Paris pastry (from Arnaud Larher) could come close to describing it (with a helping hand inspired by Wayne Thiebaud). 

Even the displays are patterned 

And matching Art Déco.

Designer Paul Poiret (1879 - 1944) was known as ‘Le Rois de la Mode’/king of fashion at the turn of the century. Hé always traveled extravagantly with his entourage of 9 models, 

Though he grew up in working class Les Halles where his father was a cloth merchant. As a child he was sent to work at an umbrella shop. He saved the silk scraps to make dresses for his sister’s dolls

Poiret trained with Jacques Doucet at Worth, 

Before opening his own company in 1903.

He freed women from their tight-fitting corsets 

And put them in loose flowing, flowery fabrics. 

Poiret's house expanded to encompass interior decoration and fragrance.

In 1911, he introduced "Parfums de Rosine," named after his daughter, becoming the first French couturier to launch a signature fragrance. 

He celebrated the perfume launch 

With a wild ‘One thousand and Second nights’ soirée held at his palatial home. Only Paris’ creme de la crème were invited. But if they arrived wearing other than The Arabian Mights theme, they were sent home.

Cost was no object…ultimately Paul Poiret’s undoing.

Poiret became involved and influenced by all the arts and artists of his time; 

Diagalev’s ballet, painters, interior design, fabric design, poetry, theater, cinema. 

Marked by over-expansion, wild extravagance and an excessive lifestyle, Poiret was forced to sell his fashion Maison in 1929. 

Along came Coco Chanel with her utterly simple lines to quickly eclipse his fantasies. Et voila.

Ruined, he ended up selling sketches in cafes and supported by old friends. 

He was influential to contemporary designers like John Galliano, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix and Yves Saint Laurent have drawn on orientalism, folklore, festive spirit and the performing arts.  Paul Poiret was the first couturier to call on artists to intervene on his textiles, decorations, illustrations and other means of communication. The Paul Poiret exhibit is on until 11, January 2026. GO! 💋

Ah Paris…