Art - Goût - Beauté, Feuillets de l' élégance féminine, Mai 1931, No. 129, 11e Année, p. 22 1931

Curator: Let's talk about this vividly patterned page from a 1931 issue of "Feuillets de l'Élégance Féminine," showcasing "Art-Goût-Beauté." Editor: Oh, my, it's like a jazz melody distilled into a page! I love the stylized figures—all elongated limbs and such languid poses, against that subdued background. It practically screams "sophistication!" Curator: It’s fascinating to see how these fashion plates acted as arbiters of taste. Mixed media, combining print and tempera, gives a distinct richness to the colors. The designs come from prominent houses like Jeanne Lanvin, if you look at the descriptions. Editor: Fashion as art, definitely! And you're right about the richness—there's something very tactile about the textures suggested, even though it's on paper. It's more than just pretty dresses; it tells you how the elite envisioned themselves. The shapes, so streamlined, really represent the art deco love affair with modernity. Curator: Precisely. "Art-Goût-Beauté" literally translates to Art-Taste-Beauty, embodying the magazine’s mission. By showcasing such designs within its pages, it set standards for the fashionable elite, and these weren’t merely clothes; they were markers of status and cultural aspiration. The dresses, as well, reflect very precise fabrics and construction techniques, each carrying cultural and economic implications. Editor: I almost feel I could step right into a Poirot mystery. Everything is so carefully rendered to evoke a certain mood—one of ease, nonchalant elegance, as though one's every move is poetry. It's less about showing you clothes, and more about selling a dream, a lifestyle, an era of fabulous parties, isn’t it? Curator: That’s it entirely. The presentation itself speaks volumes about the cultural values assigned to fashion during that interwar period. And consider the subtle propagandistic effect. Fashion magazines didn’t simply reflect societal values, they constructed them. They made very calculated arguments about how women should present themselves to embody certain ideals. Editor: That explains why I feel both enchanted and just a touch uneasy. It’s beautiful but ever so slightly prescriptive. Curator: Exactly! Its beauty carries a loaded historical baggage. Editor: Well, after a second look, it almost tells a whole story about aspiration and control. But it's undeniably gorgeous in its presentation! Curator: And now perhaps it's your turn to carry its history forward by observing it from this historical lens.