Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille, dimanche 7 novembre 1886, 15e Année, No. 775: Toilettes de M.me Lebrun-Vidal (...) 1886

This print, published in Paris in 1886, is made from a combination of etching and engraving techniques. Look closely, and you can see how these processes create fine lines on the page, building up areas of tone to give the image depth and texture. What we’re seeing is high fashion: two women, one dressed for a wedding. But this image also prompts us to consider the immense labor behind the scenes, and to look beyond the display of wealth on the surface. After all, textiles, tailoring, and lacemaking were major industries in France at this time, involving countless skilled workers, mostly women. The industrial revolution had partly mechanized the textile industry, yet handcraftsmanship remained central to Parisian haute couture. Consider the dresses’ intricate details, from the folds and drapes, to the lace trim: all were products of a vast, and often exploitative, system of production. Appreciating these details allows us to reflect on the hands that made them, and the social context in which fashion thrived.