Fancy dress

This dress is made of blue silk velvet for the bodice, and rivets are tacked onto a silk net for the pants. In the hem of the overskirt made of a net, there is a hoop included. In 1909, when the Russian Ballet (Ballets Russes) led by Diaghilev had shocked Paris with its performance, Poiret immediately adopted it into his design, and flourished his collection with orientalism. This work is created in the same form as the dress that was presented at the 1911 costume party 'A Thousand and Two Nights', and is believed to be presented in the last collection in 1935. From the mid-19th century - through the Crinoline style and Bustle style, the corsets used by women became thinner and firmer due to advancements in industrial technology. As for the S-shaped corset that was introduced in the later 19th century, it became too tight that it forced the posture to become forward bending. Paul Poiret at just 26 years of age in 1906, became the era’s star by introducing a linear shaped high-waist dress which did not use these types of corsets. It was a historical moment, when corsets -which had been a necessity for hundreds of years - disappeared from western women’s garments. It is said that the original purpose for this design was for Poiret to provide a comfortable dress to his beloved pregnant wife (Denise).