Très Parisien, 1923, No 10: 16.- NONCHALANCE. - Une robe de velours.... 1923

This fashion plate, Très Parisien, was printed in 1923, probably using pochoir. Look at how the flat planes of color combine with delicate linework to define the figure and her fabulous velvet dress. You can almost smell the expensive perfume and cigarette smoke. I’m always fascinated by the material qualities of art, and here, it’s about the smoothness of the paper and the crispness of the stencil. The unmodulated color gives it a graphic punch, but it’s the details that really make it sing: the lace trim around the cape and hem of the dress, and the tiny puff of smoke that seems to mirror the shape of the ruffled fabric. This image reminds me of the work of Erte, another master of Art Deco illustration, who used similar techniques to create glamorous and stylized depictions of women and fashion. Both artists understood that art is about more than just representation, it’s about creating a mood, a feeling, a whole world in a single image.