Latest news with #PaulPoiret
Vogue
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Triumph and Tragedy in Couture: The Story of Paul Poiret as Told by Vogue
Paul Poiret in his prime, 1912. Photo: Paul Thompson / FPG / Getty Images A Poiret-inspired dress by Christian Lacroix couture, 2007. Photographed by Steven Meisel, Vogue, May 2007 We're hot with anticipation for the debut of Glenn Martens at Maison Margiela, as well as Demna's swansong collection for Balenciaga. But what makes the fall 2025 couture season truly extraordinary is the way past and present are colliding. Presiding over this changing of the guard and tipping point for the métier are Charles Frederick Worth and Paul Poiret, subjects of exhibitions at the Petit Palais and Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs, respectively. Worth, an Englishman, who established his house in 1858, and dressed the Empress Eugénie, is considered to be the first couturier. Parisian Poiret, who hung out his shingle in 1930, was deemed the first modernist couturier, and, argues Mary E. Davis in a forthcoming book, the inventor of 'modern luxury.' Many firsts can indeed be attributed to the designer. A marketing genius, Poiret toured Europe with models, anticipating the trunk show. He commissioned artists to produce limited edition portfolios of his work, and he used his headquarters for community building, hosting shows and parties that created spectacle and a sense of occasion about his work. In 1915 Vogue went so far as to suggest that 'Poiret was first to dramatize the showing of a new dress collection.' He was early into beauty, establishing a fragrance business, Rosine, in 1911, the same year he introduced what we would call a 'lifestyle' aspect to his projects with the creation of Martine, a decorative arts studio. Vogue reacted to the latter development thus: 'Certainly couturiers have never before insisted that chairs, curtains, rugs, and wall-coverings should be considered in the choosing of a dress, or rather that the style of the dress should influence the interior decorations of a home. Such, however, now appears to be the case.' Poiret's end goal wasn't necessarily to do things couturiers had never done before; rather his creativity was as expansive as his personality was big. His vision was total to the point of being absolutist. Because this was so Poiret's story is one of triumph and tragedy; he soared to heights never before reached and finally fell into obscurity. Still 'Poiretesque,' a favorite descriptor conjures sumptuous colors and textures mixed with jewels and fantasy and the picturesque. Known as 'Le Magnifique' or the King of Fashion, Poiret was enmeshed in the waves of changes that were happening in pre-war Europe at the birth of Modernism. Like a sponge, he intuited and absorbed these shifts; and like an octopus he had tentacles in many pots. Poiret designed costumes, interiors, and textiles; he was involved in education (through Martine), gastronomy, publishing, art, theater, and entertaining. That he was nothing less than a force of nature was confirmed by one J M Giddings who, in 1913, told The New York Times that 'Poiret is to be reckoned with every moment of the time. His vitality is endless; it would take two or three lives to use it up.'#
New York Times
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Met Gala After Anna?
Ever since Anna Wintour announced she would be handing over the day-to-day operations of American Vogue to a new head of editorial content (or HOEC?), the theories have run rampant about what it means. So even though Condé Nast has insisted nothing is really going to change when it comes to her power and her presence, she has shaped so many industries for so long that the mere suggestion she might loosen her iron grip has sent a tremor through fashion. Is she getting ready to depart? Is this succession planning in public? What would the magazine world even look like after Anna? What about … the Met Gala? While the answers to some questions may have to wait until the actual HOEC is announced, a response of sorts to the Gala query appeared Sunday evening in Paris, where the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the decorative arts institute housed in the Palais du Louvre, held its first Bal d'Été (Summer Ball) on the eve of the couture shows. A black-tie affair nominally marking the centenary of the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, the exhibition that popularized Art Deco, the Bal d'Été was, like the Met Gala, a museum fund-raiser. One that had been two years in the making. Like the Met event (and the gala that the Louvre itself held earlier this year), the Bal d'Été coincided with a grand fashion exhibition, 'Paul Poiret: Fashion is a Feast,' at the museum. And it was art-directed by a famous name, Sofia Coppola, who filled the entry gallery where the dinner was held with ferns and palm fronds, the tables festooned with rose-colored tablecloths and overflowing with mini posies of dahlias, roses and strawberries, like a scene out of her 2006 film 'Marie Antoinette.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Vogue
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
In Paris, MAD Honors Paul Poiret, 'the First Art Director in the History of Fashion'
On Tuesday night in Paris, MAD—as Paris's museum of decorative arts is now known—inaugurated 'Paul Poiret: Fashion is a Feast,' the first-ever dedicated exhibition about the couturier best remembered for freeing women from corsets. Poiret learned about couture at the house of Worth, the subject of another exhibition over at the Petit Palais. Once he struck out on his own, he became the original multi-hyphenate couturier. Poiret dabbled in music, painting, acting, and restaurants. He was the first to scout out and support promising talents, initiate collaborations with artist friends like Paul Iribe and Raoul Dufy, and launch a perfume line, which he named after his daughter, Rosine. Inspired by the Ballet Russes, he drew from across the arts for his fashion. Soon, he reached the pinnacle of fame as fashion's first all-powerful creative director and social arbiter. 'With the coming of Paul Poiret, fashion changed completely,' Christian Dior wrote in his autobiography, Christian Dior and I, published in 1957. 'Paris in 1912 was like a harem, with Paul Poiret as the powerful but kindly sultan.' At MAD, some 550 works span his couture creations, accessories, costume jewelry, images of famous clients like Peggy Guggenheim (shot in Poiret by Man Ray), and fine and decorative arts. But it's the dialogue with contemporary high fashion—from Dior himself to present-day—that attests to Poiret's reach.
Time Out
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
I live in the world's best city for culture – here are my 8 favourite places
Okay, so I'm hardly the most objective person when I shout from the slanted slate rooftops that Paris is the best city in the world for culture. But hey, Time Out experts and plenty of locals agree with me, so that says something, right? No matter how far I roam, I always end up back in Paris, for its late-night restaurants, its spontaneous nights out, its shabby but efficient metro, its winding, pretty streets, and of course, its pastries. But mostly, walking around Paris feels like strolling through a world-class museum, and that's something you can never really tire of. Tilt your head up and scan for hidden frescos or sneaky caryatids. Lounge in the Jardin de Tuileries, pop down to the Musée d'Orsay, or crash a Rue de Seine art opening, wine in one hand, cigarette in the other. Before it was the capital of fashion, food, or parties, Paris was – and always will be – the capital of beauty. And we Parisians? Self-proclaimed aesthetes, living in the world's most elegant open-air gallery. With more than 200 museums, plus thousands of galleries and pop-up art spaces, navigating Paris's cultural scene can be a beautiful kind of chaos. Sure, the Louvre and Pompidou Centre are legendary, but there's so much more to see. Here are some of my favourite spots. Musée des Arts Décoratifs (MAD) If you're already near the Louvre, sidestep the sea of tourists and duck into this sleek neighbour, tucked into the Marsan wing of the palace. Rebranded as MAD in 2018, the museum blends rich permanent collections with trendsetting temporary shows. World-famous fashion houses Dior, Mugler, Iris Van Herpen and Schiaparelli have showcased their work here, framed by boundary-pushing scenography and flawless curation. My tip? Don't skip the gift shop – it's packed with design gems to upgrade your home aesthetic or keep the exhibition buzz going. What's on? From June 25, 2025 to January 11, 2026, MAD will host its first major retrospective on Paul Poiret—the original fashion disruptor. Palais de Tokyo This place is a temple to contemporary art that somehow still flies under the radar for tourists. Perched across from the Seine in Trocadéro, this gargantuan gallery is the largest contemporary art centre in Europe – and arguably the coolest. The plaza outside is as gram-worthy as it gets (hello Eiffel Tower backdrop), and the exhibitions inside? Always bold, often political, never drab. There's no permanent collection, just ever-evolving weirdness and immersion, and downstairs, there's a street-art cave. Upstairs? You'll find swish restaurants and one of the city's top art bookshops. Stay late and you can even hit YOYO, the in-house club. It's spenny, but it's worth it. La Gaîté Lyrique Once a theatre, now a wonderland of artwork for the post-Internet generation. Seven floors of digital art, gaming, music, fashion, and radical creativity are all packed into a Marais building that's as socially conscious as it is cool. Last winter, La Gaîté opened its doors to unaccompanied minors seeking shelter, hosting them for four months while pressuring the city to act. Threatened with closure, this cultural gem deserves all the love. Pop in for an exhibition, sip coffee, take a voguing class, record a podcast, or learn how to fix your broken blender. Yes, really. Chapelle XVI Forget the Marais, Saint-Germain, or even Trocadéro. If you want raw, real, unexpected culture, head to the north of Paris. In the often-overlooked 18th arrondissement, Chapelle XVI is part café, part record shop, part art gallery, part concept store, and it's the total opposite of Paris's grandiose galleries. Loud, proud, and effortlessly cool, this place proves that art doesn't need to be elite (or quiet) to be powerful. You don't browse here. You dive in, speakers blasting. Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac – Pantin Yes, I'm telling you to cross the périphérique – take a deep breath. Pantin is basically Paris's answer to Brooklyn, and this mega-gallery is proof. Thaddaeus Ropac took a risk by setting up shop in this sprawling old factory back in 2012, but now, it's a sprawling cathedral of contemporary art: huge and tailor-made for gigantic works by Baselitz, Kiefer, and other heavyweights. If you think galleries are all sterile white cubes, this one will change your mind. Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP) Even as a painting purist, I've never had a dull visit to the MEP. Nestled in a Marais mansion, it's been showcasing photography's biggest names since 1996, from Larry Clark to Zanele Muholi. The shows are tight, the curation razor-sharp, and the pace fast enough to keep you coming back. I love the architecture of the place, with its creaky parquet floor and period staircase, and never leave without browsing through the upstairs library, stacked with rare photography books. Le BAL If the MEP is the headline act, Le BAL is the underground hit. Tucked behind Place de Clichy, this small-but-mighty space is all about the image – still or moving, political or poetic. It punches well above its weight in terms of programming and is never swamped with people, meaning you can take your time, sip coffee in its sunny café – the Sunday brunch is a must – or nab a book from its bookstore. Le BAL is, first and foremost, a publishing house, so you're sure to find some real treasures. Fondation Louis Vuitton Yes, it's expensive, and yes, it's a trek. But once you reach this striking glass-and-steel masterpiece by Frank Gehry, you'll forgive it all. Built in 2014 by LVMH's cultural arm, the Fondation hosts blockbuster shows that rival anything in New York or London. Think Basquiat, Hockney, Cindy Sherman, Charlotte Perriand – the big names love it here. J'adore Paris!
