In Mary Daviss beautifully written, impeccably researched book, Poirets visionary genius at last receives its due. Insightful and wide-ranging, Paul Poiret: Inventing Modern Luxury demonstrates fashions central power to shape both culture and commerce, and reveals how, along with his gorgeous fashions, Poiret created an entire, glittering empire of Parisian art, media, design and celebrity whose influence remains with us to this day. The book is at once a delicious journey back to a glorious moment in early twentieth-century French history and a remarkably smart commentary on todays luxury goods industry. * Rhonda Garelick, author of Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel and the Pulse of History * Poiret was a brilliant fashion designer, a remarkable innovator and a visionary who liberated women from the corset. Moreover, as the inventor of the luxury brand, Poiret had a unique understanding of the essential place of communication, image, and the role of celebrities. He was the first to link fashion with art and culture. Mary Davis documents this exquisitely in her new book. It should be read by everyone in fashion, and by anyone interested in the origins and driving forces of today's luxury industry. * Sylvie Ebel, Vice Dean, Institut Français de la Mode, Paris *
