Toujours Chic, Toilettes de Soirées, Hiver 1921-1922: Papillon 1921 - 1922

G-P. Joumard made this fashion plate called 'Toujours Chic, Toilettes de Soirées, Hiver 1921-1922: Papillon', around 1921 using print and pochoir. The color palette is surprisingly simple, red, gold and black, yet it is really effective. You can see the care that has gone into building up the image through layers. It’s all about flat areas of color on textured paper, so the physical qualities of the media are really on show here. I like the way the black and gold lozenges sit on top of the vertically striped skirt. It makes you think about textiles and the way patterns are layered on to create an opulent overall effect. And the way the rouge of her top and accessories are picked up in the motifs on her skirt. Fashion plates like this one make me think of the work of Erté, and how fashion can really be another form of art making. It's exciting, the conversation between different disciplines. It's all about finding ambiguity in the everyday.