Paul Poiret was born in Paris in 1879 and was to become known as the 'King of Fashion'. His designs were groundbreaking and controversial - they went against the norm. He freed women from their corsets and introduced them to draping. He is well known as having never been able to sew,but instead draped the fabric onto the body; even once saying that his dresses should "read beautifully from afar". This lack of workmanship and tailoring was to backfire after World War I, when designers such as Coco Chanel gained popularity for their sleek tailoring and high workmanship.
Poiret is well known as being one of the first designers to understand the importance of marketing - he dressed famous actresses in this designs as a way to gain publicity. However the fashion house crumbled quickly during the 1920s and 30s - there are some reports that suggest by the time the house closed, Poiret's clothes were sold by the kilo as scraps. For someone who radically changed the face of fashion, it is a shame that his name isn't as renowned as it should be!
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