Très Parisien, 1923, No 6: Ces grands noms de la Haute-Couture.... 1923

Editor: This is "Très Parisien, 1923, No 6: Ces grands noms de la Haute-Couture...." from 1923. It's a drawing and print currently at the Rijksmuseum, showcasing these lovely Art Nouveau figures in what I presume are high fashion dresses. I'm struck by the use of pastels; they create a sense of elegance. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The recurring motif of the flapper dress here becomes a powerful signifier, almost a hieroglyph, for the newfound freedoms of women in the post-WWI era. Consider the symbolism inherent in clothing. The shedding of restrictive Victorian garments mirroring the shedding of social constraints. The colors themselves whisper of liberation and a turning away from mourning toward a celebration of life. Do you notice how even the landscape elements serve only as background for these icons of modernity? Editor: Yes, that's interesting. The dresses do take center stage and embody a very particular moment in time, a period of huge change and optimism. How do you think that these "icons of modernity" would have resonated at the time? Curator: They represented aspirational ideals and possibilities. This wasn't merely an advertisement; it was a declaration. A signpost to a future where women held greater autonomy, expressed through their choices, even something as seemingly simple as the dresses they wore. These colours were the harbingers of societal changes, small but substantial. It reflects, through visual imagery, the social aspirations. Editor: I'm seeing now how this fashion plate does far more than simply display clothing; it illustrates social transformation, using symbolic dress as the language of change. Thank you! Curator: And I appreciate how your perspective allows us to see the quiet revolution embedded within this print, continuing its narrative through our own interpretation.