Renowned fashion buyer Maria Luisa Poumaillou dies in Paris

Yesterday, the celebrated fashion buyer and retailer, Maria Luisa Poumaillou, died after a long battle with cancer.

Born in Venezuela in the 1950s, Poumaillou emigrated to Paris aged 7. In 1988 she launched the legendary boutique Maria Luisa on Paris’ Rue Cambon, where she curated a selection of well-established designers, as well as launching the careers of undiscovered talents such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Helmut Lang. Throughout her career, she championed the designs of many fashion revolutionaries, including John Galliano and Alexander McQueen.

After twenty successful years, Poumaillou incorporated her business into the Parisian department store Printemps in 2009. The launch party attracted several powerful designers, including Nicolas Ghesquière and Rick Owens. Printemps’ Maria Luisa concession recently stocked designers such as Junya Watanabe, JW Anderson and Simone Rocha.

The death of such a prominent figure will be a great loss to the fashion industry and Poumaillou’s legacy will live on.