At the core of the exhibition will be a grouping of the stunning creations the Metropolitan acquired in the much-heralded 2005 auction of clothing from Poiret's estate.
The exhibition is made possible by Balenciaga. Additional support is provided by Conde Nast. To celebrate the opening of the exhibition, the Museum's Costume Institute Benefit Gala will take place on Monday, May 7, 2007. Francois-Henri Pinault will serve as Honorary Chair of the Gala. Co-Chairs will be actress Cate Blanchett, Nicolas Ghesquière, Creative Director of Balenciaga, and Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue.
More than any other designer of the 20th century, Paul Poiret – who is credited both with liberating women by making the corset démodé and with restricting their gait with narrow-hemmed hobble skirts – elevated fashion to the status of art.
Like the artists with whom he collaborated, Poiret's work was fueled by the dominant discourses of the day, including Classicism, Orientalism, Symbolism, and Primitivism. Known as the "King of Fashion," (the title of his 1931 autobiography) he introduced the vivid colors of the Fauvists and the exotic references of the Ballets Russes to the haute couture.
Poiret's protean genius extended beyond fashion to the realms of art, theatre, architecture, and interior design. As well as discussing his design legacy, the exhibition will focus on Poiret's collaborations with such artists as Paul Iribe, Georges Barbier, and Georges Lepape. Poiret's designs will be presented in a series of vignettes evocative of the drawings of these artists for such fashion periodicals as Art, Gout et Beaute and La Gazette du Bon Ton.
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