Gazette du Bon Ton, 1914 - No. 4: Ëloge de la Cape 1914

Curator: Here we have a fashion illustration by Paul Mėras, from the "Gazette du Bon Ton" in 1914. It’s entitled "Loge de la Cape." Editor: Immediately, I see echoes of theatrical costumes—the poses, the drapery... it's all very stage-like. A bit mysterious, don’t you think? Curator: Absolutely! The "Gazette" was hugely influential at the time, presenting fashion as art and reflecting the shifting roles of women. Mėras here is documenting how these designs embody and negotiate societal expectations. Editor: You can really read a lot into the symbolism. The cape, as the text indicates, almost harks back to Eve, shrouded and banished, and the art nouveau stylization reinforces this link to primordial images. Each rendering feels like a meditation on protection and revelation. Curator: Indeed. Think of the timing—just before the Great War. The cape perhaps provided a sense of protection during an unstable and dangerous era. What's interesting is how this publication played a pivotal role in shaping the couture industry in spite of these conditions. Editor: I agree. There’s a strong feeling of longing woven through these illustrations. These figures stand outside reality – existing instead within an ideal state that I would argue offers protection from outside torments. Curator: Fascinating how something seemingly frivolous can have such a deeper cultural resonance. Editor: And perhaps that is the essence of fashion, after all – weaving narrative into the everyday, imbuing textiles with myth. It is an insightful view of dress and its symbolism in troubled times.