THE POIRET DREAM

THE POIRET DREAM is a speculative design project that combines parallel brand history construction, exhibition spatial narrative, and an AI-assisted design workflow. The project is driven by two central questions: If Paul Poiret's brand had never disappeared in the early twentieth century but continued to develop into the present, how would its history be rewritten and exhibited today? And in a time when generative AI can produce highly convincing spatial images, is the role of the spatial designer shifting within the design process?

The project began with research into brand history and visual archives, from which a parallel timeline was constructed in which the Poiret brand never ceased to exist. Based on this framework, the exhibition was developed starting from spatial structure and circulation design, establishing a narrative sequence in space. Generative image tools were then introduced to test spatial atmosphere and material direction, followed by manual editing and replacement of historically inaccurate objects with archival references.

As a visual strategy, the project adopts the concept of "Mirror, Flower, Water, Moon," translating reflection, floral imagery, moon-like lighting, and fluid boundaries into spatial language. This creates an environment that exists between reality and fiction, allowing visitors to step into a reconstructed brand history that appears believable but never fully fixed.

Ultimately, THE POIRET DREAM is not only a speculative exhibition about a parallel brand history, but also an experiment in a design methodology. It suggests that as image production becomes increasingly automated, the role of the designer may shift from producing images to constructing spatial frameworks, organizing historical narratives, and making critical decisions about information, images, and space.