In 1911, renowned couturier Paul Poiret (1879-1944) established the Atelier Martine, named after his daughter, as a decorative arts school for young girls. Inspired by the Wiener Werkstatte studios in Vienna, Poiret envisioned his own enterprise for creating unified, modern interiors. Students at the atelier were encouraged to work from nature and were often taken to public gardens, zoological parks, and museums for instruction. Poiret's role, in his own words, was "...to stimulate students' activity and taste without influencing them or criticising, so that the source of their inspirations should be kept pure and intact...." The girls' designs, typically boldly colored gouaches or pastels, were then edited by Poiret and those most suitable for reproduction were chosen. Exuberant floral patterns, as seen on this wood-block printed cotton, were applied to textiles for fashions and furnishings, as templates for embroideries and carpets, and were also used to enliven ceramics and murals.

Upholstered furniture and carpets from the Atelier Martine were recently on display in Poiret: King of Fashion at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.