Costume for Gaby Deslys 

Curator: Look at this captivating image, "Costume for Gaby Deslys," by Erté. It’s a beautiful rendering using ink on paper, showcasing his incredible skills in fashion and textile design. Editor: Oh, my! What strikes me first is its theatricality. It's like a captured moment from a lost film reel. The drama! The glamour! Curator: Indeed! Erté's works often depicted powerful, fashionable women, embodying the Art Deco movement. The subject, Gaby Deslys, was a celebrated dancer and actress of the time, known for her flamboyant style. This piece provides insights into the performative aspects of celebrity, but also gendered performance. Editor: That headdress! It's almost defying gravity. I love the monochromatic palette too, the stark blacks and whites, accented with these hints of muted greens and golds on the tassels, somehow feel both elegant and subversive. Don't you think it has that surreal air, a kind of playful melancholy? Curator: Yes, absolutely. And those long, elegant lines – they speak to the streamlined aesthetic of the era, a rejection of the past and an embrace of modernity. Moreover, it highlights the cultural intersection between fashion, theatre and visual culture, crucial to understanding early twentieth-century popular culture. The design could be considered to reinforce stereotypical visions of femininity; or, maybe even, to push against the boundaries of this archetype by making it larger than life and spectacular? Editor: Hmm, that's fascinating! I see it differently perhaps. Those tassels, for me, aren't just decoration. They seem to give the character motion. They add such flair! The outfit has almost come alive as though she is dancing. Curator: Precisely. And Erté, through pieces like this, engaged with complex themes around celebrity image-making and consumer culture during a transformative time. His work raises important questions regarding the role of performance in shaping public perception and personal identity. Editor: I could just stare at it all day, picturing that era. Thanks, that was enlightening. Curator: Indeed, a dance into the past.