Japon samengesteld uit blokken zwarte en witte voile c. 1914 - 1918

This dress, titled ‘Japon samengesteld uit blokken zwarte en witte voile’ was pieced together by Hirsch & Cie N.V. using black and white voile. It is so easy to imagine the maker of this dress, meticulously stitching each block of voile, carefully considering the placement of the black and white squares to form these horizontal lines. The voile is thin, like a veil, so it probably feels good on the skin. You can see how the black and white play off each other creating a graphic impact while also maintaining a sense of lightness. I think about the many other artists, designers, and craftspeople who have worked with similar geometric patterns and high contrast colors; they each bring their own unique vision and interpretation. The ruffles between each row are a nice feminine touch. I would wear this. There’s this conversation between artists and designers through history, each one building upon the ideas and innovations of those who came before, borrowing and lending ideas across time. It’s this amazing give and take, an ongoing dialogue that keeps creativity flowing, and our interpretations changing.