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

G-P. Joumard made this fashion plate, Manon, probably with watercolor and ink, for the Winter collection of 1921-1922. The dominant colours are pink and black, accented by white. I can imagine the artist bending over the sheet, carefully rendering the pleats and folds of the dress, thinking about how the garment would move on a real body. I bet they were thinking about line and silhouette, and also about the texture of the fabric – that taffeta, how it catches the light. There's a lot of detail here. Look at the way the black and white stripes accent the bodice and hem. The overall effect is playful and elegant, very Parisian! This reminds me of the work of Erté, with his Art Deco-inspired illustrations. Artists working in fashion always seem to be in dialogue with each other, riffing on the same ideas, trends, and materials.