Born in Venezuela in the Fifties, Maria Luisa Poumaillou burst onto the fashion scene in 1988 when she launched her eponymous boutique Maria Luisa on the Rue Cambon in Paris. The famed buyer, who passed away in 2015 after a lengthy battle with cancer, was renowned for her genteel style and fierce championing of new talent; she helped launch the careers of various high-profile designers, including Jean Paul Gaultier and Helmut Lang. “Maria Luisa was never afraid, she embraced my work 100 per cent,” Christopher Kane tells MOJEH. “She understood the woman who wore my clothes and bought without fear. She believed in exciting and innovative fashion and I will be forever grateful for her encouragement and friendship.”
Maria Luisa Poumaillou owned one of the most influential fashion boutiques in Paris and transformed Printemps into a serious fashion destination. Photographer: Olivier Zahm
From 22 September to 22 October, Printemps will pay tribute to Poumaillou in an exhibition entitled: Maria Luisa, A History of Fashion. Famously messy, her sumptuous boutiques resembled the over-flowing wardrobe of an ostentatious aristocrat. She later incorporated her business into Paris’ Printemps through shop-in-shops, before joining the department store as fashion editor in 2009. Now, to commemorate Poumaillou’s enduring legacy, twelve designers will present a look or an accessory of their choice that the fashion editor has worn or could have worn. “Maria Luisa always had a beautiful jacket or coat on, so I’ve chosen an understated but beautifully tailored suit with embroidered stitch details to reflect her elegant and impeccable style,” reveals Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen. Manolo Blahnik, meanwhile, tells MOJEH that he picked a pair of sandals because they were “one of Maria Luisa’s favourites”.
“Whenever I see them, I always think of her. I remember that when she came to do the buy of the season she was ecstatic over them! She was like that! She would get very excited about something that she likes. And she was always right because what she picked was always a success. She had the best eye.
“She understood and appreciated refined objects,” he fondly adds. “Few people in the business had her taste. I miss her.”
Auction house Christie’s will also be present on 27 September to sell off 22 festive mannequins, which have been designed over the years by major fashion houses including Dior, Chanel, Prada and Burberry. Additionally, between 27 August and 8 October, Louis Vuitton marks an exclusive collaboration with Printemps by taking over 11 display windows. Layers of terracotta-coloured sand and rock are washed in a luminous blue, depicting a spectacular voyage through space and time. Against this otherworldly backdrop a range of exclusive products, specifically designed by Louis Vuitton creative director Nicolas Ghesquière himself, will be showcased; suspended in mid-air.
Maria Luisa, A History of Fashion exhibition, runs from 22 September to 22 October 2016, with a special event set to take place during Paris Fashion Week.
