Terms and conditions of use
Day coat
1921 {spring-summer 1921}
Medium
wool, silk (satin, thread, lining)
Measurements
114.0 cm (centre back) 52.0 cm (sleeve length)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased with funds donated by Mrs Krystyna Campbell-Pretty in memory of Mr Harold Campbell-Pretty, 2015
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
Known as the ‘King of Fashion’ in America and ‘Le Magnifique’ in France, Paul Poiret was central to the development of modern fashion in the early twentieth century. His vision of radical simplicity transformed the prevailing silhouette of the time by renouncing heavily structured garments in favour of loose drapery and Neoclassical lines. Poiret began experimenting with form to produce new garment types, including kimono coats, hobble skirts and chemise dresses that liberated women from constricting layers of undergarments. This coat from 1921 reflects Poiret’s Orientalist visions of the 1910s–20s; however, it was in 1908 that he first introduced the kimono style.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
France
Accession Number
2015.678
Department
International Fashion and Textiles
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Professor AGL Shaw AO Bequest