[PDF] Stunning Males and Powerful Females: Gender and Tradition in East Javanese Dance (New Perspectives on Gender in Music) by Christina Sunardi in Arts-Photography

Review

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Wrapped in exoticism...By GUSTAVO PRADO RGUEZWritten by the man himself in the afterlife of his amazing career; when he was no longer; famous; rich or married. This little book proves to be an excellent medium to witness the time when he almost singlehanded revolutioned fashion through banning the corset; bringing oriental; greek and exotic influences; and being the first fashion designer as we understand the term now.He goes into great detail into his younger years when he met Mme. Cheruit and the famous J Doucet. Particularly about Chez Doucet; he explains the arrangement of the attelier in the change of century with the vendors; designers; chief of attelier; seamstress; and how the subtleness of this relations goes into the final garment.When some years later he opens his own house; he brings all the time the process; from inspiration to cutting as the components of the final garment. Along appears his friends and acquaintances Iribe; Lepape. And also how he deals with Isadora Duncan; how he met with the Ballet Russes Bakst. All the time making a point how he influenced them; not the other way around -in here we can have a skeptical eye...When success came; he opens Le parfums Rosine and the Atelier Martine; being the first couturier going into the scent business almost ten years before Chanel. -It exist an extraordinary book on this adventure Paul Poiret and His Rosine Perfumes; with hundreds of images-. The Martines were the students of the Atelier; and it was sort of an art school meets interior design training; in here Poiret goes into great detail about how to develop creativity in children toward design.In every work about Poiret we heard about his one thousand and two nights party; but only here we have exact description of the menus; the amenities; the list of guest. The taste for the oriental and the exotic expands into his travels and he goes in detail when he goes to Morocco -as YSL would make many years later- and there some other chapters describing his long tours into United States.These travels were as a conferencist and he make not only his impression but the actual transcription of some of the lectures; being of particular interest how he reflect in the fashion process and the way he had to foreseen the taste of people; even there at the dawn of fashion: trends and forecasting were important; even though at the end he wasnt able to understand new taste and that was the sign of his fall.The last part of the book; unfortunately does not give more information about his debacle. He just say in few lines; he is now retired; now divorced; and dedicated to his painting. He is bitter; but that only is apparent in this last chapters. The main book is always light and happy. it has a little section with BW photographs.This self bio is part of a little collection the VA made about fashion designers; Schiaparelli; Dior; Poiret and the sixties Biba. I think the best are the Dior; and this Poirets. It is highly recommended if you want to know about the designer; the man; but also as a way to see how they produced the idea of fashion in the beginning of the 20th century.6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Great insight into the mind of a fashion iconBy CustomerWritten in Paul Poirets hand; this is a great fun to read and gives good insight into his mind. The only wish I had was for more information on his demise in the fashion world. But; if you want to get into the mind of a great genius; then I would recommend this book.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. SUPER BORINGBy Andre L. GraySometimes when individuals write their story; they mess it up! He makes himself out be a Windbag and very egoistical. And to top it off; there are not enough pictures.