Medium: Purple silk damask with cotton velvet and silk cord

Date: 1912

Country: France

Credit: Museum purchase

This dress belonged to Poiret’s wife Denise, who served as model and muse for her husband. Acknowledging her modernity, he stated, “In dressing Madame Poiret, I strive for omission, not addition.” The bold color palette and rectilinear design, stripped of ornamentation, are typical of her style, as is the girlish, pleated white collar. Inspired by her slim, un-corseted figure, Poiret eliminated the waistline and played with proportion, creating a silhouette that appears to elongate and flatten the body.

Object Number: 2008.6.1