Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille, 24 janvier 1884, 13e annee, No. 630: Jupons & Corsets (...) 1884

Editor: So, this watercolor print is called "Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille," published January 24, 1884, credited to A. Chaillot. The women's dresses are incredibly detailed. What strikes you about it? Curator: The material representation is fascinating. Look at the juxtaposition: stiff corsetry contrasted with flowing fabrics. This image isn't just about aesthetics, it's about production. Who made these garments? How were these patterns developed and distributed? The journal itself is part of a system of consumerism, driving the desires that demand this labor. Editor: I hadn’t thought about that. I was just admiring the details like the ruffles and the train. Curator: Consider the watercolor technique, too. It mimics the ephemeral, delicate quality desired in the clothing. Watercolor lends itself to reproduction through printmaking; allowing widespread access to these images that dictated societal norms. It is designed to fuel this demand. How do these material conditions shape our understanding of “fashion”? Editor: So you’re saying the image itself is a commodity, part of the engine of fashion? It makes you wonder how different life was for those producing these garments. Curator: Exactly. And this journal places itself as a 'Gazette de la Famille'- a seemingly harmless source, while acting as a propagator of a burgeoning capitalist fashion industry built on complex modes of labor. Editor: I will never look at a fashion plate the same way again! Curator: Precisely. We’ve gone beyond simple appreciation of aesthetics to recognize the intertwined socio-economic system that it supported.