Known in Paris as ‘Le magnifique’, the couturier Paul Poiret did away with corsets and created a simplified silhouette for the women he dressed, though the light textiles he favoured were still luxurious. His mastery of draping fabric won him a devoted clientele among the beau monde. Given to grand gestures – for the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in 1925, he hired three barges at ruinous expense to show off his creations on the Seine – he was a flamboyant figure who attracted high-profile clients such as Isadora Duncan and artistic collaborators such as Raoul Dufy and Maurice de Vlaminck. This wide-ranging exhibition in Paris comprises some 500 items from the collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (MAD) as it continues to celebrate all things art deco this year (25 June–11 January 2026).
Find out more from the MAD’s website.
Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary
Mosaïque evening dress (c. 1908), Paul Poiret. Photo: © Christophe Dellière/Les Arts Décoratifs
Joséphine evening dress (1907), Paul Poiret. Photo: © Christophe Dellière/Les Arts Décoratifs
Evening coat (c. 1910), Paul Poiret. Photo: © Christophe Dellière/Les Arts Décoratifs