Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costumes Parisiens, 1914, No. 175 : Robe et cap (...) 1914

Editor: This drawing, from 1914, is titled "Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costumes Parisiens." It’s by an artist named Dussy. The medium seems to be pen and ink with watercolor. It feels simultaneously playful and quite severe. What’s your take on it? Curator: Oh, this is delightful! It throws me headfirst into a world of poised extravagance and whimsical anxieties— doesn’t it you? Consider the timing: 1914. The world was tottering on the precipice of… well, you know. To see such detailed attention lavished on flounces and feathered hats feels like a desperate, beautiful act of defiance. Editor: Defiance? I hadn’t really thought about it that way. I just saw a pretty dress. Curator: Well, isn't that often the case? Art has layers, like an onion, or maybe one of those extravagant ruffle dresses! The sharpness of the line work, the almost architectural rigidity contrasting with the frills—it's like society trying to maintain appearances amidst chaos. What do you think those colors were like, do you think? Something intense? Or faded hues as to mask some kind of secret? Editor: Now that you mention it, there *is* something very structured about it. All those sharp angles in the hat, contrasting with the curves of the dress… Maybe it’s not as frivolous as I initially thought. I guess it shows that even fashion plates can have a story to tell. Curator: Exactly! It makes you wonder, doesn't it? About the woman in the dress, about the artist, about the world at that moment. Perhaps more profound in retrospect, don’t you think? What stories the dress must hold! Editor: Definitely makes me look at fashion illustration differently. Thanks!