10.1.07

mark your diaries: paul poiret at the costume institute

while browsing the website of the costume institute of the met to find a bit more information about the current nan kempner exhibition, i learned that the institute is going to be hosting a paul poiret exhibition from 9th May. i don't know much about poiret except that he is known for his loose-fitting, draped garments that helped to liberate women from their corsets in the early 20th century, but my interest was really piqued when i learned that the CI is going to "explore Poiret’s modernity in relation to and as an expression of the dominant discourses of the early 20th century, including Cubism, Classicism, Orientalism, Symbolism, and Primitivism."

i can't stand it when purists argue that fashion is a less valid art form than any of the other visual arts - and it's always really refreshing to me to see it treated as such. if anything, i believe that fashion is THE most vital form of craftsmanship, as it touches each and every one of our everyday lives. it's nice to see the costume institute treating such an important designer as the artist that he is by including him as a part of some of the last century's biggest visual art movements, and i only wish that more galleries and museums would follow suit...

*thanks to wikipedia for the above image*

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