The Paul Poiret Effect: How the 1910s King of Fashion Is Shaping the Runway Today
Learn more about the legendary French couturier who left a lasting impact.
There is a mosaic plaque embedded in the pavement of Avenue Montaigne, just outside Dior's historic headquarters, honoring the couturier who first put that address on the fashion map. Christian Dior once said of him: "Poiret came and changed everything."
Paul Poiret, Le Magnifique, the self-proclaimed King of Fashion, was the couturier who dismantled the corset at the turn of the 20th century, replacing it with velvet opera coats, drop-waist dresses scattered with beading, tasseled shawls, fur-trimmed wraps, and silk pouches worn as jewels.
More than a century later, those same elements have returned on today’s runways. At the Dior Men’s Fall 2026 show, Jonathan Anderson draws directly from Poiret, working with archival fabrics from the house’s original supplier and reimagining elements of a 1922 Poiret dress, with the upper portion subtly reworked through the opening looks.
Those same references carry into the women’s collection, where a trace of Poiret lingers, through lamé fabric, feather trim dresses, and silk collar robes.
It's worth noting this isn't the first time Dior's corridors have echoed with his memory. John Galliano conjured him explicitly for his legendary Spring 1998 Couture show at the Paris Opéra Garnier, with Marchesa Luisa Casati as a noted muse.
Beyond Dior, Poiret's presence across the current fashion landscape is clear. Conner Ives, never far from a brilliant archival reference, leaned into the fur-lined silk cocoon robes. Valentino's Spring 2026 Couture offered feather-hemmed and beaded embellished dresses that Casati herself might have worn to the 1924 Beaumont Ball.
Ahead, I’ve put together a Poiret-inspired edit for you to shop. Discover satin dusters at Maria McManus and Colleen Allen, fur robes at Conner Ives and Chloé, cocoon dresses at Kallmeyer, and fil coupé kaftans at Taller Marmo. You’ll also find tassel accessories from Le sundial, JujuVera, Sophie Buhai, and Hunting Season.
Satin Dusters
Cocoon Dresses and Kaftans
Vintage Pieces
Tassel Accessories
Fur-Trimmed Robes and Coats
