Très Parisien 1923 No 8: 12.-PRIAM 1923

This fashion plate, Très Parisien 1923 No 8: 12.-PRIAM, was made in Paris in 1923 by an anonymous artist. It depicts a stylish woman wearing an evening coat made of blue velvet embroidered with gold, lined with lamé, and trimmed with white fox fur. The plate employs techniques of pochoir, or stencil printing. The fashion plate was a key element in the fashion industry, and the luxury garment trade, of the early 20th century. It reflects the amount of labor involved in the creation of high-end fashion at this time. From the textiles involved, to the tailoring required to produce the items and the industrial processes of printing, the final image would have been reliant on skilled workers. The luxury garment trade would have been reliant on skilled workers, which could be seen in the techniques of tailoring to produce the items. The fashion plate represents a moment when the skilled labor of garment production was at its height, just before mass manufacturing took over. Examining the materials and processes allows us to consider the social context of fashion and labor in the 1920s.