Kabinet van mode en smaak 1791, pl. V 1791

Curator: Look at this delightful scene – it’s "Kabinet van mode en smaak 1791, pl. V," a print dating back to 1791, etched and engraved by an anonymous artist. Editor: Oh my, so much pouf! They look like powdered dandelions. The colors are surprisingly subdued, though, for such elaborate get-ups. It’s charming in a stiff, upper-crust kind of way. Curator: It's amazing how the etching captures the texture of the fabrics, isn't it? You can almost feel the crispness of the silk. This era, you know, was obsessed with the meticulous craftsmanship of clothing; social status was materially represented. Editor: Indeed, all those hours to maintain status. Consider the labour involved. It isn't merely a pretty image; the fashion magazine this print appeared in catered to a particular class and promoted ideas of aspirational taste and consumption. Each line represents someone toiling to create those outfits. Curator: Absolutely! And isn’t it fascinating how fashion at this time mirrors the Neoclassical movement, with its clean lines, but twisted into a mad explosion of textile innovation? Almost like, 'Let’s be proper and Grecian... but make it wild!' Editor: Precisely, an assertion of wealth through exaggerated, towering hairstyles and gowns that both reveal and conceal. I notice the contrast – one woman exposes her shoulders, the other is cloaked in fabric from head to toe, yet their proximity creates an almost theatrical statement about visibility and power. Curator: It is incredibly performative, this display of fashion, but isn't that how identity often is built and broadcast? We select and showcase aspects, wrapping them in material forms of artifice. We decide who and what is visible, a mode of communication if I've ever seen one. Editor: Yes, exactly! This is less about frivolous aesthetics, but the real effort of production – the hidden costs woven into every garment. Now I think I appreciate those dandelions even more... knowing what effort went into turning them into fashion statements.