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“A contemporary interpretation of the dress-making tradition” truly sums up the elegant, glamorous, timeless and yet strikingly modern style of POEM – a fashion house born from a fascination with the timeless elegance of the glamorous ladies in the 1950s, whose impeccable look is crafted by a trusted couturier. From the memorable on-screen and off-screen wardrobe of Audrey Hepburn created by Hubert de Givenchy, and the story of Mona von Bismarck who locked herself in her bed chamber for three days to grieve after Cristobal Balenciaga announced the closure of his fashion house. Or the fashion-forward Marlene Dietrich who refused to appear in any movie unless Christian Dior was also on board, as remembered by her classic line “No Dior, No Dietrich.”
The timeless and highly feminine elegance of 1940s-1950s silver-screen goddess – a marriage of sculptural structure and feminine curves – is the key inspiration for Chavanon Caisiri, founder and designer of POEM. Growing up with the long-lost images of various glamorous ladies regularly frequenting his mother’s dress-maker boutique to had their newest dress custom-made especially for them, Chavanon combines this childhood fascination with his very own thinking process, which he describes as “rationalizing the perspective of beauty.” He polishes his visions for the brand with the structural precision of forms and lines — a direct influence of his architectural background – and his observation and understanding of different female body types. The outcome is manifested through POEM’s striking silhouettes that enhance the elegance of the POEM ladies, who radiate with supreme beauty and confidence in any POEM creation they wear.
POEM reinterprets the revered French dress-making tradition with modern lifestyle and production system in order to offer a ready-to-wear line that follows the concept of “Modern Glamour” As Chavanon puts it, his hourglass shape is achieved by calculating the structure of pattern and the use of selected materials to recreate the classic hourglass silhouette that best compliments the smaller frame of Asian women. This Modern Hourglass needs not heavy undergarment, and instead focusing on manipulating the weight and grain of the fabrics to create a more natural volume. The outcome is the modern feminine shape that floats on the tiny frame of a busy businesswoman who, despite her hectic daily schedule, never ceases to step out of the door everyday in her most impeccable look.
Chavanon’s ability to master both the technique and the concept is influenced by his unique view of women – a mixture of Christian Dior’s concept of strength concealed underneath the feminine curves, and Gabrielle Chanel’s view of clothes as means to liberate women from social restrictions. The POEM collection is cleverly planned to ensure customers can mix-and-match each and every item to their own liking. The key pieces include signature two-piece dresses which comes in various shape of structured blouse pair with A-line Parachute skirt or pencil skirt and tailored jacket which can be paired with various other pieces to achieve a unique look, as well as basics such as white shirts with immaculate cut that can be worn even with a full skirt for a glamorous office combo. Some more casual items like a striped jumper can paired with a draped silk skirt for an unmistakably smart casual look that goes from day to night. Highlights of the collection—the evening dresses—come in luxurious materials ranging from silk, silk organza or silk taffeta, be it for the body-conscious dress, one-shoulder dress, dropped-shoulder dress or strapless, full-skirt dress with lovely ribbon detail. The striking textures – a signature of POEM creations – is achieved through 3D graphic print and fabrics mixing technique, be it the use of knit with organdy, or cotton with silk, all to ensure that such classic look will continue to epitomize glamour even for the modern women whose elegance is defined by both beauty, style and career success.