Très Parisien, 1923, No 7: 4.- LIBELLULE. - Très élégante robe de taffetas... 1923

Curator: And here we have an image titled “Très Parisien, 1923, No 7: 4.- LIBELLULE. - Très élégante robe de taffetas...” made anonymously around 1923. It’s currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, created using ink in print and drawing mediums. Editor: It has this flapper-era stylishness about it. Chic, yet somehow frail. Is it just me, or is there something quietly melancholic about the subject’s pose? Curator: It’s interesting you say that. Fashion plates like this weren’t just about showcasing the latest designs; they also idealized a certain type of lifestyle and aspiration. Consider the production itself—this likely involved several skilled laborers creating designs, engraving plates, printing, and coloring. Each step is a story of labor and material transformation. Editor: Ah, the material realities shaping dreams, you mean. It's about making those dreams available in a way. So taffeta – lightweight yet crisp, and these wonderful striped bands and ribbon details. The very language suggests movement, airiness – LIBELLULE translates as "Dragonfly". I think that matches well with that somewhat dreamy affect of Art Nouveau styling. Curator: Indeed. It’s about creating a desire, fostering a culture of consumption. The print provides detailed description - "*Très élégante robe de taffetas blanc garnie au col d'un ruban hayadère à longs pans*", or “very elegant white taffeta dress adorned with a long, striped ribbon.” The purpose being the details help potential customers know enough to inquire with a seamstress. Editor: Yes, I see the social machine buzzing within the ink lines! But it remains a lovely thing, I have to admit. Curator: Absolutely. And these drawings show us not only how garments were envisioned but offer insight into how gender roles and societal expectations of the 1920s were visually and materially constructed. Editor: Yes, the dress, the pose… it all says something about both the freedom and constraints of that era. It's a nice moment frozen in time and technique. Curator: Precisely. Thank you for highlighting the beauty and labor of the period in what it suggests about the social conditions of early twentieth century Paris.