Paul Poiret: fashion’s forgotten icon back in the spotlight
He liberated bodies, dressed Parisian nights, invented the modern silhouette… then disappeared from the collective memory. This summer, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs is devoting a retrospective to Paul Poiret, the legendary designer of the early 20th century, in an exhibition entitled “Paul Poiret – la mode est une fête”.
An eccentric visionary forgotten too soon
Born in Paris in 1879, Paul Poiret was one of the first couturiers to see fashion as a total art form. In contrast to his rigid contemporaries, as early as 1903 he designed corset-free garments with fluid, colorful lines, inspired by the Ballets Russes, thedreamed-of Orient and Fauvist art.
Far from being a simple label, Poiret was a complete creator, a true artistic director before his time, who dreamed of himself as much as a perfumer, decorator, costume designer as a stylist. He threw sumptuous parties, collaborated with avant-garde artists and was a provocative dandy, all the while claiming total creative freedom. ” I’m an artist, not a couturier”, he used to say.
An exhibition that awakens collective memory
The first major retrospective devoted to Paul Poiret in France since 1986, this exhibition at the MAD – Musée des Arts Décoratifs brings together over 550 archive items: precious dresses, fragile textiles, sketches, accessories, period photographs… Some of them come directly from the personal collection of Denise Poiret, his wife and muse.
Curator Marie-Sophie Carron de la Carrière stages an immersive tour that recreates the effervescence of the years 1900 to 1920, from the Belle Époque to the Années Folles. Visitors discover an audacious silhouette, free of norms, profoundly modern and resolutely festive. The exhibition also celebrates the character’s scenic dimension, as a lover of the performing arts, a lover of actresses, and a master of the art of self-presentation.
A pioneering icon to (re)discover
Unlike Chanel, who reduced his palette to black and minimalism, Poiret advocated excess, color and exoticism. He invented the concept of the personal brand, even before fashion took hold of it. But with no surviving house, his name gradually faded from the catwalks… until today.
With this exhibition, MAD gives him back his rightful place: that of a visionary pioneer, an avant-garde player, a free spirit whose influence is still palpable among contemporary designers.
Practical info
🖼️ Exhibition: Paul Poiret – La mode est une fête
📍 Venue: Musée des Arts décoratifs (MAD), 107 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
📅 Dates: June 25, 2025 to January 11, 2026
💬 Site: madparis.fr
🎟️ Access: Tickets online or on site. Full price: approx. €14
🚇 Metro: Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre (Lines 1 & 7)
Also read: Balenciaga x Demna: an exhibition before a theatrical departure
