Poiret (Metropolitan Museum of Art
Publications) by Andrew Bolton
Wonderfull!!
In the annals of fashion history, French couturier Paul Poiret (1879–1944)
is known for liberating women from corsets and introducing pantaloons into
their wardrobes. However, it is Poiret’s remarkable innovations in the cut
and construction of clothing, made all the more remarkable by the fact that
he could not sew, that secures his legacy.
This essential book is the first to explore Poiret’s radical modernity from a
number of perspectives. Essays by renowned scholars describe the
historical context of his work; its relation to the dominant artistic discourses
of the early 20th century; his muse, Denise Poiret, and her influence on his
work; and his role in the paradigmatic shift to a new ideal of feminine
beauty. Poiret’s entrepreneurship, his creation of an atelier to extend his
influence beyond fashion to the art de vivre, and his relationship to the
workshops of the Wiener Werkstatte are also discussed.

Poiret’s innovative creations are represented by colorful pochoirs
(stencils), personal photographs from the Poiret family archives, and newly
commissioned photographs of Poiret’s masterworks.
Personal Review: Poiret (Metropolitan Museum of Art
Publications) by Andrew Bolton
Mr. Koda and The Costume Institute scores with this lovely exhibition
catalog! While not as lavish or sumptuous as The Philadelphia Museum of
Art's 2003 Shocking! The Art and Fashion of Elsa Schiaparelli by Dilys
Blum (at this juncture the absolute gold standard for Costume exhibition
catalogs) this remains nonetheless an absolutely gorgeous volume. A
perfect counterpoint if you will, to the even more lavish 1987 Rizzoli
volume Poiret by Yvonne Deslandres. The current Poiret is a feast for the
senses, especially, if you were unable to visit the exhibition in-person. You
shan't be disappointed.
A note about Rizzoli: In the decades of the mid 1980s and early 1990s this
publishing house offered some of the most beautiful volumes devoted to
the great couturiers. If you haven't already acquired them, I highly
recommend each of them. The first was the aforementioned Poiret,
followed with Christian Dior by Francoise Giroud in 1987; Balenciaga by
Marie-Andrée Jouve and Jacqueline Demornex in 1989, and Vionnet by
Jacqueline Demornex in 1991. Hopefully, Rizzoli is commencing such a
series once more with the November publication of Lanvin!
As the revival of long-dead haute couture houses continues, of late with
Vionnet (as yet another ready-to-wear venture) in addition to the
aforementioned volume, I also recommend the spectacular Madeleine
Vionnet by Betty Kirke published in 1998
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