Très Parisien, 1923, No. 2: Tissus et Rubans de A. PRÉVOST & CIE ... 1923

Curator: Oh, darling, doesn't this drawing just transport you? I'm completely lost in the charm of this early 20th-century Parisian scene. Editor: It's a fascinating visual document of 1920s fashion, to be sure, but what does it tell us beyond the surface of style and commerce? Curator: Right you are. Here we have "Très Parisien, 1923, No. 2: Tissus et Rubans de A. PRÉVOST & CIE..." The Rijksmuseum has it, but I imagine it floated in on a cloud from some fabulous atelier. I see flapper dresses in apricot and noir, and I just want to waltz right into it. Editor: Yes, I see two figures positioned within the commercial display of textiles; its a tableau vivant, reinforcing how identity could be bought and sold like any commodity. I’m thinking of Veblen’s concept of conspicuous consumption; who is this aimed at, and what does it represent about female roles? Curator: Roles… well, the Art Deco aesthetic, so present in these simple but luxurious shapes, was so rebellious! It threw off all those Victorian constraints and made way for bold new female images. Don't you agree? Editor: Absolutely, but within the confines of a certain class and race. This image is promoting "A. PRÉVOST & CIE," positioning these garments as the key to that desired modernity and liberty, it simultaneously reinforces cultural limitations. And just LOOK at how slim and flattened and identical both of these women appear, just further evidence of that same commodification that turns all human identity into uniform merchandise. Curator: Well, if you’re right, at least these designs themselves still manage to have a little flair and personality. Those fluid lines of the yellow wrap with cashmere details on that figure’s jacket really bring you somewhere, maybe an evening jazz performance! Editor: True enough. At least we can acknowledge that aesthetic appeal can itself become a form of agency. To dress in ways that challenge normative expectations of beauty. Curator: What an insightful lens you bring to this! I thought I was just looking at a pretty picture, but… Editor: Art's most disarming trick—it's rarely *just* a pretty picture. This "Trés Parisien" does speak volumes when we examine the fabrics that made up not only those dresses but that particular moment in time.