Mantle

This mantle is made of bright yellow wool and lined with black chiffon. Based on a deconstructed kimono, it is composed of two rectangles folded on the shoulders and joined on one side with a stylised bow. It illustrates how Poiret was able to combine with rare harmony the bold colours of Fauvism, the vision of Cubism and the percieved exoticism of Asian garments at the time. The striking costumes of the Ballets Russes had made Fauvism fashionable.

Mantle · Paris · ca. 1913. Wool, lined with silk chiffon, hand-sewn. By Paul Poiret. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.