Paris - Avenue Montaigne - Paul Poiret
Just a few blocks away from his home, this sidewalk mosaic on Avenue Montaigne, pays tribute to designer, Paul Poiret.
Poiret was born on April 20, 1879 to a cloth merchant in the poor neighborhood of Les Halles, Paris. While a teenager, Poiret took his sketches to Madeleine Cheruit, a prominent dressmaker, who purchased a dozen from him. Poiret continued to sell his drawings, eventually to major Parision couture houses, until he was hired by Jacques Doucet in 1896. He later moved to the House of Worth, where he was responsible for designing simple, practical dresses, where his modernity proved too much for Worth's conservative clientele.
Poiret established his own house in 1903, and made his name with the controversial kimono coat. He designed flamboyant window displays and threw legendary parties to draw attention to his work. Poiret's instinct for marketing and branding was unmatched by any previous designer. Poiret's house expanded to encompass furnitury, decor, and fragrance in addition to clothing.
Though perhaps best known for freeing women from corsets and for his startling inventions including hobble skirts, "harem" pantaloons, and "lampshade" tunics, Poiret's major contribution to fashion was his development of an approach to dressmaking centered on draping, a radical departure from the tailoring and pattern-making of the past. He was famous for designing luxurious oriental and Art Deco gowns. Other contributions to fashion included the suspender belt, flesh-colored stockings, culottes, and the modern brassiere. He also presented the first sheath and sack dresses. Moreover, Poiret was noted his use of vibrant primary colors, breaking from the soft colors common during the late Edwardian period.
Paris - Avenue Montaigne - Paul Poiret
Just a few blocks away from his home, this sidewalk mosaic on Avenue Montaigne, pays tribute to designer, Paul Poiret.
Poiret was born on April 20, 1879 to a cloth merchant in the poor neighborhood of Les Halles, Paris. While a teenager, Poiret took his sketches to Madeleine Cheruit, a prominent dressmaker, who purchased a dozen from him. Poiret continued to sell his drawings, eventually to major Parision couture houses, until he was hired by Jacques Doucet in 1896. He later moved to the House of Worth, where he was responsible for designing simple, practical dresses, where his modernity proved too much for Worth's conservative clientele.
Poiret established his own house in 1903, and made his name with the controversial kimono coat. He designed flamboyant window displays and threw legendary parties to draw attention to his work. Poiret's instinct for marketing and branding was unmatched by any previous designer. Poiret's house expanded to encompass furnitury, decor, and fragrance in addition to clothing.
Though perhaps best known for freeing women from corsets and for his startling inventions including hobble skirts, "harem" pantaloons, and "lampshade" tunics, Poiret's major contribution to fashion was his development of an approach to dressmaking centered on draping, a radical departure from the tailoring and pattern-making of the past. He was famous for designing luxurious oriental and Art Deco gowns. Other contributions to fashion included the suspender belt, flesh-colored stockings, culottes, and the modern brassiere. He also presented the first sheath and sack dresses. Moreover, Poiret was noted his use of vibrant primary colors, breaking from the soft colors common during the late Edwardian period.