Costume for the Englishman, from La Boutique Fantastique 1917

Léon Bakst designed this costume for the Englishman in La Boutique Fantastique, and you can see he’s building the figure out of shapes, almost like a collage. I love the way Bakst uses flat, bold colors and strong outlines. It gives everything a graphic, almost cartoonish feel. Look at the Englishman's face – that exaggerated nose and the red skin, it's theatrical, like he’s acting out a part. Then there's the doll he's holding, so delicate and brightly colored against his dark suit. The contrast just makes her pop. And the way the scarf wraps around his head? It’s like he's been unwrapped, becoming something else. It reminds me a bit of Picasso's stage designs, how he played with perspective and form to create these larger-than-life characters. It’s all about making a statement, not just depicting reality. Art's a playground, and these artists, they’re inviting us to come play with them, to see things in a new way.