Poiret (Metropolitan Museum of Art) [Hardcover]

Harold Koda (Author), Andrew Bolton (Author), Nancy J. Troy (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 29, 2007 | Series: Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Harold Koda is curator in charge and Andrew Bolton is curator, both at The Costume Institute, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Nancy J. Troy is professor of modern art history at the University of Southern California.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Metropolitan Museum of Art (May 29, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 030012029X
• ISBN-13: 978-0300120295
• Product Dimensions: 14.6 x 12 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #636,606 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mega coffee table book, July 12, 2007

By 

M. Young "maggldypie" (Silly Valley) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Poiret (Metropolitan Museum of Art) (Hardcover)

This large tome is a gorgeous accompaniament to the ongoing exhibition at the Met. Most of the book consists of full-page photographs on high-quality matte paper. While I'm a couple thousand miles from the exhibition, the book's photos means it's possible to see Poiret's wonderful clothes in close detail--and how amazingly timeless many of them were--as in you really could wear them today.

So, why four instead of five stars? Because the text is good, but not superlative. Lots of good information about Paul Poiret, but I'd like to have had something that places him in the context of other designers--how they were influenced (if they were)and a livelier writing style--good fashion writing, even of the historical ilk, should be witty.

It is, as I say, a gorgeous coffee table book. These days, it sits on a side table next to my couch because the matte gold cover just looks so darn good. I would buy this book if I were an interior designer just for decorative purposes.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poiret, August 1, 2007

By 

Ken Simmons (Houston, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Poiret (Metropolitan Museum of Art) (Hardcover)

I think this is the best format for a costume/fashion book of a designers work Each article is photographed on a white mannequin in a white space with beautiful lighting. Each garment is shown in a full length photo and some have front back and detail views. For those who want to understand the cut of clothing, this provides as much info as one can get short of seeing the garment itself.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous!, September 1, 2007

By 

Chic Savage - See all my reviews

This review is from: Poiret (Metropolitan Museum of Art) (Hardcover)

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