A Fresh Look at Paul Poiret

With the fashion luxury space in the midst of an identity crisis, a new book trains its lens on the designer who set the tone for the modern luxury industry as we know it. French fashion designer Paul Poiret (1879-1944) is the subject of a new book by historian and cultural critic Mary E. Davis. 

Titled Paul Poiret: Inventing Modern Luxury, Davis’ book explores how Poiret wrote the blueprint for much of what we now consider standard practice in fashion as a cultural force, complete with influencers such as Peggy Guggenheim as a brand ambassador and the development of fragrance as a vertical to help burnish the Poiret brand, a full decade before Coco Chanel introduced her No. 5 cologne. 

A glittering fixture in the galaxy of Parisian society, Poiret was well-known for his parties, including his infamous costume parties and the nightclub he created in his gardens. Davis’ book is buttressed by two other moments highlighting Poiret’s work– including a major Paris exhibition, Paul Poiret: Fashion is a Feast, at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (on view until January 11, 2026), and a Poiret-inspired SS 2026 collection by Maitrepierre. mary-e-davis.com