Très Parisien, 1926, No. 1, Pl. 11: Création ANNA, Création PHILIPPE ET GASTON 1926

This print, "Très Parisien, 1926, No. 1, Pl. 11: Création ANNA, Création PHILIPPE ET GASTON" by G-P. Joumard, feels like a direct portal into the visual culture of the jazz age. What strikes me first is the rendering. Look at the flat blocks of color, like they've been stenciled on, and those crisp outlines defining the figures and dresses. The image is so stylised, flattened. It's as if Joumard built up this scene from a collage of shapes, thinking about form and pattern as much as representation. Take the purple dress. See how the sleeves are articulated? It’s all about the line, the shape, the rhythm of the repeating motif. I bet it felt incredibly modern at the time. Fashion prints like these are like a conversation that echoes through time. They remind me of Matisse’s paper cut-outs, the way he used simplified forms and bold colors to create a sense of movement and energy. Art, fashion, design - it’s all part of the same dance.