Toujours Chic Les Robes, Hiver 1921-1922: Dahlia 1921 - 1922

Curator: Here we have “Toujours Chic Les Robes, Hiver 1921-1922: Dahlia" by G-P. Joumard, a vibrant watercolour drawing from the Rijksmuseum collection, dating from 1921 to 1922. Editor: Oh, I adore this! It’s like a stylish paper doll floating in time. Those rosettes – like punk dahlias gone politely wild on that otherwise severe black velvet. Chic with an edge, I think, right? Curator: Exactly. Joumard created this piece within a fascinating period of fashion history, a time of immense change as the 1920s began roaring. Editor: Roaring indeed. Though it feels, whisper it, a tiny bit stiff? Like she's on her way to a very formal do but still plotting something slightly rebellious, under that hat. It’s a very subtle drama, which I appreciate. Curator: Fashion plates such as this played a critical role in shaping the consumerist landscape of the time, dictating not only trends but also the aspirations of an increasingly fashion-conscious public. Magazines leveraged these illustrations to promote visions of modernity. Editor: And did they ever! I wonder who saw this and felt compelled to… recreate this look. Imagine translating this 2D dream into heavy velvet, though… that would be hot! A commitment to suffering for beauty in itself. Curator: In these depictions of “modern” women we also begin to notice codes of access emerge. Access to the "right" materials, dressmakers, and social spaces begin to define who is inside or outside a certain cultural echelon. Editor: The colour palette really seals the deal. It’s limited but deliberate - the boldness of the rouge against the severe black. Makes me consider that maybe it isn't rebellious after all, that perhaps it's an almost military precision. Like chic with a *strategy.* Curator: Yes, strategically chic! As you observe, this deceptively simple watercolour offers a glimpse into the complex intersection of fashion, society and art in the early twentieth century. Editor: I'll walk away from this seeing that a hundred years from now, a sketch on paper can still radiate the essence of 'chic,' in a really tangible way. So long as it features rosettes… Curator: Absolutely. Fashion's ephemeral, and simultaneously echoes loudly down the ages, doesn't it?