Poiret, Bakst, and the Ballet Russes
How Exploration Inspires Evolution
by Francesca Giangiulio
Leon Bakst (1866-1924) was a Russian artist who spent his life studying history, traveling, and exploring other cultures in order to create completely unique and innovative pieces. Paul Poiret (1879-1944) was a French fashion designer who, despite spending the majority of his life in Paris, was known internationally for his revolutionary designs. Bakst and Poiret have more in common than simply existing as great artists of their time; both gathered creative inspiration from their exploration of other cultures and used it to spark cultural revolutions that would forever change and shape what it means for something to be “modern.”
Bakst was born and raised in Russia, but he spent most of his adult life away from his home country, traveling and exploring the world. As a young Jewish artist, Bakst did not feel welcome in Russia, so he left for Paris in the early 1890s to study and pursue his passions.
It was during this time that he met Alexandre Benois (1870-1960) and Serge Diaghilev (1872-1929), who both helped influence his art and inspire the later course of his life. These men were two of the founding members of the Ballet Russes—a traveling Russian ballet company based in Paris—for which Bakst became the head designer in 1909.
Bakst’s opulent, innovative, and extraordinary style revolutionized theatrical design in scenery and costume. It ultimately became one of the cornerstones of the Ballet Russes, especially during their peak between 1909 and 1914.
Before working with the Ballet, Bakst traveled across the world and became inspired by the varying styles and ideals of modern art. In his own designs, he combined his international findings with traditional Russian folk art. The influences from his travels led to substantial “Orientalism”—a term used at the time by Westerners to describe Asian-inspired work, which did not differentiate between the myriads of independent Asian cultures, histories, and traditions—and Egyptian and Middle-Eastern motifs in his works.
Bakst started designing theatrical scenery in the early 1900s, and in 1906, his work was showcased in a traveling exhibit of Russian art organized by Diaghilev. He was part of a generation that yearned to rebel against the stage realism of the nineteenth century, and that ultimately sparked a revolution in theatre design that leaned towards the spectacular. Bakst wanted to embrace the theatricality of performance art and make it a true escape for the audience.
In 1909 Bakst finally settled in Paris, where he started designing scenery and costumes for Diaghilev’s new ballet company, the Ballet Russes. Benois later joined the company to design decor and write librettos. The Ballet Russes’ first production, Cleopatre, was a mix of Russian opera and ballet featuring Russian music and dancers, but it was widely acknowledged that the costumes were the highlight of the evening. Bakst’s innovative dresses focused on “Oriental” styles and themes of excess and sensuality, which appealed to a society that was constantly striving to appear “cultured” no matter how flawed its stereotypes and global perceptions. The success of Cleopatre in the media provided the template for the future of the Ballet Russes’ productions.
The Ballet Russes raised every aspect of performance—dance, choreography, music, stage, and costume design—to an equally high level of inventiveness and excellence. They integrated traditional dance narratives with modern design, folk art, contemporary music, and new choreographic approaches to create a comprehensive, immersive experience. There was energy in every aspect of the Ballet Russes’ shows. The audience members fed off of this energy, letting it permeate into their daily lives and inspiring a more free, extravagant, and sumptuous lifestyle that lasted well through the 1920s. This shift in perception and behavior can be seen in the changing views of the ideal woman, which transitioned from “femme fatale” to “la garçonne” and in the widespread promotion of the luxurious, care-free, hedonistic lifestyle. “The Russes” rejected the formality and mime of classical ballet and aimed to project meaning and emotion into every aspect of their performance. They were known for opulent colors and textures that provided powerful support for sensational stories.
Bakst used colors, lines, and decorations to indicate the moods and personalities of characters; these vibrant shades, patterns, and fabrics energized the ballet’s otherworldly and fantastical subject matter. The costumes were richly decorated with various motifs and textures to create interest, much like Poiret’s designs. Bakst was also the first person to introduce loose-fitting and uncorseted designs that gave dancers freedom and full range of movement. This style is mimicked in Poiret’s designs, bringing a newfound freedom and vitality off the stage and into women’s everyday, public lives.
Bakst achieved international fame through his work at the Ballet, and by comparing his bold, intricate, luxurious designs with those of Poiret, it is clear that he was extremely influential not only on stage, but also in ordinary, day-to-day fashion.
Poiret was one of the first internationally-recognized great designers of history and was viewed as a champion for women’s couture. Americans called him the “King of Fashion” and the French referred to him as “Le Magnifique.” Although the bulk of his designs emerged in the 1910s, he is credited with shaping and heralding the cutting-edge style of the ‘20s. Poiret did what no artist before him could: he captured what women desired for their bodies and clothing as society moved into a bright new stage post-World War I.
He was highly inspired by the Ballet Russes, using their popular style of “Orientalism” with intense detail to highlight the romantic and theatrical possibilities of clothing. Poiret’s extravagant tendencies expressed themselves through bright colors and enigmatic silhouettes; they were a complete turnaround from the strict structure and arguable dullness of late nineteenth-century fashion.
Poiret’s work drew fashion away from heavy tailoring and towards more drape-like garments. He was inspired by Greek chitons, Japanese kimonos, and North African caftans. These influences completely destabilized Western fashion and dethroned Western ideals, which were previously considered the standard for haute couture.
The great success of the Ballet Russes’ 1910 production of Schéhérazade encouraged Poiret to continue exploring “Orientalism,” which is reflected in the vibrant colors, exotic accessorization, and innovative details of his work. Poiret’s other inspiration for the style of the modern woman came from his own wife and muse, Denise Poiret. She was slim, youthful, and uncorseted—the perfect prototype of the “la garçonne” style that would dominate the 1920s.
Poiret and his wife were known for their “fancy-dress” parties, which they frequently held at their home in Paris. These events boasted lavish themes, and Poiret used the spectacle and excitement to show off his new fashion designs. The guests were encouraged to partake in avant-garde fashions and lifestyles. Like the Ballet Russes’ performances, Poiret’s parties provided an escape from the devastated post-WWI reality. The most note-worthy of his social gatherings followed the theme “The Thousand and Second Night,” in which the fashions and decorations reflected the mythical and fantastical aspects of East-Asian and African worlds. This party launched a sequence of some of Poiret’s most famous and innovative designs, like harem pants and lampshade tunics. Poiret was also known for hobble skirts, which were another nod to ancient “Orientalism.”
Poiret’s technical and marketing innovations changed not only costume design in the 1910s, but also the course of modern fashion for the rest of history. The business methods Poiret introduced still largely make up the model for the contemporary fashion industry. He elevated fashion to the status of an artform. His designs were about more than how they made the body look. The clothes were not meant to highlight the wearers; rather, the wearers were meant to highlight the clothes and fascinating designs. Poiret used his stage designs and costumes for actresses as a way to publicize himself and his creative work. He started his own maison de couture in 1901, and by 1911 he had also established a perfume and cosmetics company, along with a decorative arts company. This made him the first designer to make fashion and design a “total lifestyle” experience.
Before Poiret, magazines printed new designs in black and white advertisements. Poiret, however, wanted his fashion to be exciting, interactive, and accessible to all people. In 1908 he released a book in partnership with artist Paul Iribe, titled Les Robes de Paul Poiret. The book depicted the vibrant colors of his designs on black and white backgrounds. These backgrounds featured settings which were elegant and chic, yet easily recognizable and familiar to all readers. The book emphasized fashion as its main focal point while still allowing readers to feel like they could see themselves in the pages.
From the start of his career, Poiret was an explorer known for designs that not only broke conventions of the time, but also destroyed public presumptions of what high fashion was. He liberated womens’ bodies from both the petticoat and corset by 1906, introducing pant-styled and loose-fitting gowns. He dissolved the unrealistic “S-curve” silhouette of the prior decade by designing clothes that were the complete opposite, giving women either no silhouette or one that seemed to come from another world.
The stories and legacies of Paul Poiret and Leon Bakst illuminate how exploration leads to creative inspiration—which, when approached with the right work ethic and dedication, can spread internationally and spark cultural revolutions.