A la ville de Lyon, Naples, 1898-1899, No. 8909 : Haute Nouveauté (...) 1898 - 1899

This fashion plate, printed by Goudstikker & fils in Naples around 1898-99, presents the latest winter season design from "A la Ville de Lyon," likely a department store. These plates functioned as a key medium in the fashion industry. As department stores expanded in European cities, the circulation of fashion, and by extension its consumer base, widened. The image makes use of particular visual codes. The elegant woman, framed by a Neapolitan fountain, is seemingly wealthy, white, and European. She conveys an upper-class status that speaks to the target demographic, who could presumably afford the garment. Fashion plates like this circulated within a complex network of designers, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. By studying these images alongside archival records such as store catalogs, business records, and personal letters, historians can begin to understand the social and economic forces that shaped turn-of-the-century fashion. What does it mean to have access to the most up-to-date style? What are the politics of imagery? The interpretation of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.