Hindoustan, Robe-manteau, de Paul Poiret.

Paul Poiret was the first of the fashion celebrities. He had a personality as news worthy as his clothes. However the age of Poiret was very brief, from 1904 when he opened his own house to 1914 when he joined the army in world war 1. During that brief period, Poiret ushered in the 20th century woman, outlawed the corset and in his own words ‘freed the breasts and shackled the legs’. Poiret’s clothes were revolutionary and modern. In 1904, he opened his own house at 5, rue Auber. In his salon he showed the new woman wearing very flamboyant gowns. The Countess Greffulhe wore one of his outrageous sheaths to her daughter’s wedding and so he was launched. Poiret always said that his success was due to giving women exactly what they have always wanted, freedom.