The Washington herald., 1917-03-16
PORET RETURNS;
new MODELS HERE
Frank r. JeIlef Authorized Wash
inston Agent for Poiret's Four
teen New Creations.

teen New Creations.
Potrsts start In nfs was prosaic
enough Al . boy he was apprenticed to
an umbrella merchant
One day he was asked TO deliver .
package In . big store.
A new life opened before his eyes. He
saw people-thousands Of them-fashion-
ably dressed women. He studied them
He became interested IN clothes. He be-
gan sketchIng. Wherever he went he
made sketches Of what he saw. He
would ride up and down the boulevards
on top OF a bus and sketch.
He even essayed some original designs.
With these. one daring day, he knocked
at tho door Of . dressmAker. It was
opened His designs were bouyht-and
changed into clotheG
Potret had found his feid.
In 1904 he opened a small shop Of his
own By 1sU he had moved into larger
quarters and his growing fAme had
reached America
By 1910 Poirets genius had zone 80 FAR
that to the amazement Of Paris he left
the business neighborhood and opened
his wonderful establishment at lo7 Eau
bours St Honore, an old chateau set in
the center OF a great garden. which At
once became an art center known to al
CuIOpo d1l0 " 0OuIu AIuoIlEd-
How came Poirets rapid riser
Through his innate genius, which re-
volted against Old established customs
and dared to do tho new things
Woman should be clothed In liquid
flowing lines" he said Materials should
merge with the contour Of form. A cos
tune must emphasize the grace OF mo-
ton. But above all the artist must paint
bis picture with broad sweeps of color "
POIrAf hfa ~ ia fhaf 80
or q sculptor. His pigments are fabrics.
His canvas Il woman.
To the great mastery Of painting and
sculpture Poiret goes for his Inspiration.
To the classics of Greece and Rome, to
the masters OF later schools, into
churches to study mural decorations, back
to the excavations of Herculaneum-he
goes wherever q suggestion will stir his
imagination "A primeval passion for
color lays deep in his nature and a touch
sets It aire
His models of course, always reject
his travels. studies and researches.
In the spring OF 1913 Poiret achieved
one of his greatest artistic triumphs in
the Paris production of the Minaret, a
gorgeous Eastern spectacle which startled
the entire fashion world,
Concerning these costumes Poiret wrote:
1.-THE Sun rises IN the east each day and
/
come"
Then came Poiret to America for new
Inspiration.
Upon his return to Paris he created
a dozen costumes expressing a compli-
ment to the American women whom he
had studied in their native environment
In tho spring Of 1914 Poiret took mems
garments as his inspiration, and he
showed the American women trousered,
HATED and spatted.
Now the scene changes.
It is Monday morning. August s, 1871
the second day Of mobilization for the
great war.
We go to the salons Of Poiret In Paris
We f1nd him dressed in soldiers clothes
He is surrounded with weeping crowds of
devoted helpers. It go to join my regi-
ment," he says. IAN artist is nothing
when a soldier Is wanted. France needs
men today, not artists Ny atelier is
closed and will remain closed until re-
turn. II do return"
And 50 Poiret disappeared for nearly
three years.
As Attache de la Ministere de Ia
Guerre, he is given sufficient time away
from his duties to take up again his be-
loved art But Paries is closed to fashion
30 Poiret creates his new models
especially for American women. He
sends twenty to New York, from which
fourteen are chosen for reproduction. He
organizes company to exploit them. He
authorizes four specialists to reproduce
these models, under the direction of his
own representative to see that each one
Is faithfully reproduced, line for line,
color for color.
One house in each community through
out the United states Is offering them to
the public. In Washington It is Frank r.
Jelleff, 1915 r street
These are robes, costumes tailleur
coats, skirts and sports costumes. Four
teen models. which in various materials
and colors count up to more than half
"a hundred. ~
In these lovely new clothes there ap-
pears to us, who have followed him
through all his inspired style phases, a
dual Poirat The old Poiret il there with