Très Parisien, 1925, No. 10, Pl. 12: Créations Jean MAGNIN, - RAMSÈS 1925

Editor: So, this gouache and drawing, "Très Parisien, 1925, No. 10, Pl. 12: Créations Jean MAGNIN, - RAMSÈS" – a fashion plate from 1925 – immediately struck me. It has an elegant, almost playful feel, with those bold stripes and Art Deco touches. How do you interpret this work in the broader context of its time? Curator: I see it as a powerful artifact of a specific cultural moment. Fashion plates like this one served a crucial role, not merely as illustrations of garments, but as active agents in shaping and disseminating Parisian style – the French “brand,” if you will. Who was targeted by such images? Editor: Well, I suppose wealthy women, tastemakers, those who could afford the latest fashions and were influenced by them. Curator: Exactly! And beyond that immediate audience, images like this projected an idea of French sophistication and modernity onto the world stage. Post World War One, France consciously rebuilt its economy partly through the export of luxury goods, and fashion was at the forefront. Consider the “garçonne” look being promoted; what social shifts does that silhouette represent? Editor: The shorter hair, the looser clothing… a newfound freedom for women? Curator: Precisely! Fashion became a visible symbol of the changing roles of women, their increased participation in public life. But let's also acknowledge this was carefully cultivated and commodified. Whose image of "freedom" are we seeing represented and *who* benefits? Who gets left out? Editor: That’s fascinating. I hadn’t considered the image as actively promoting a cultural and economic agenda beyond just pretty clothes. I thought Art Deco was mainly aesthetics, but you have made me see there is politics. Curator: It reminds us to look at the politics of imagery, especially in everyday life! I found it helpful and now know more of a new avenue for research!