Toujours Chic Les Tailleurs et Les Manteaux, Hiver 1921-1922: Beryl 1921 - 1922

This fashion plate, Beryl, was designed by G-P. Joumard in 1921. It was made with pen, ink and watercolour on paper. You know, the whole point of fashion is to capture a moment, to freeze it like an insect in amber. I wonder what Joumard was thinking when he drew this. Was he sketching from life, grabbing a quick impression of a woman hurrying through Paris? Or did he sit in the studio, imagining a new kind of silhouette. I love the stark black brush strokes that form the cape—so dramatic and bold. They make me want to dance. And that pointed hat! Like a little flame on top of her head. It speaks of a time of change, of women claiming new spaces. These old images still spark something new when we look at them. The conversation between artists just keeps on going.