Despite emancipating women from the corset and revolutionizing early 20th century fashion, French designer Paul Poiret has largely been forgotten by time, overshadowed by rivals such as Coco Chanel. But now, more than 60 years after Poiret's death, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art is hoping to change that with an exhibition devoted to a man best known for inventing the chemise dress and making bold color mainstream."He is forgotten except by fashion specialists," the museum's fashion curator Harold Koda told AFP, adding that he hoped the show could help foster a newfound appreciation for Poiret's groundbreaking designs.
He said that Poiret's simple cuts, luxurious fabrics and saturated colors were just as visually appealing today as they were almost a century ago. "It's eye candy and the general public is going to embrace it," he said.
The 50 or so mannequins in the show offer a spectacular vision of shimmering colors in rich fabrics cut in what at the beginning of the 20th century was an adventurous and pioneering style.
An auction in Paris in 2005 helped raise Poiret's international profile, with some of the world's biggest museums fighting to snap up a slice of Poiret's collection, which had been put up for sale by his grandaughter.
The exhibit runs through August 5.
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