Ses modèles exclusifs, René Sacerdote, ca. 1921, No. 141 : Robe d'après-mid (...) c. 1921

This fashion plate by Victor Lhuer from around 1921 is all line and watercolour washes. It's quite diagrammatic, almost clinical. Imagine Lhuer conjuring this frock in the studio, head in his hands, thinking about how to best express the cut and drape of the skirt? He must have known the fashion world was all about the hang and fall of fabric. I can almost feel the crisp, dark fabric against my skin, all sharp angles and geometric forms. And then that touch of olive green in the blouse - it's such a subtle move! The whole thing has this quiet, understated elegance, like a dancer caught between movements. Fashion illustration has always been about more than just clothes. It's about capturing a mood, a moment in time, a certain way of seeing the world. It's all one big, beautiful conversation.