French Fashion: Paul Poiret, Freeing the Female from Nineteenth Century Constraints

Inspired by recent scholarship on fashion's role as a reflection of the political, social, economic, cultural, and aesthetic aspects of its time, this series examines the rise of the fashion designer as rule breaker from the Belle Epoque to Christian Dior's New Look. Explore how Paul Poiret and Coco Chanel responded to the Belle Epoque, modernism and the Jazz Age, as women and their clothes became more independent, active and assertive. Consider the unique period between the wars when female designers such as Elsa Schiaparelli, Madame Grès, Madeleine Vionnet, and Jeanne Lanvin led the charge in innovative fashion, followed by the return to peacetime and French tradition with the rise of the House of Dior.

This class features: Paul Poiret: Freeing the Female from Nineteenth Century Constraints