Les élégances Parisiennes : publication officielle des Industries francaises de la mode 1916 - 1917

Curator: Here we have "Les élégances Parisiennes: publication officielle des Industries françaises de la mode" from 1916-1917, part of the Metropolitan Museum's collection. This print offers a glimpse into the fashion of wartime Paris. What strikes you first about it? Editor: An immediate feeling of somberness. The predominantly dark palette, almost grayscale, evokes a sense of restraint. And that meticulous linework, it really emphasizes the textures of the garments. Curator: It's intriguing how fashion adapted during those years. The "official publication" part in the title speaks volumes—the government co-opting the fashion industry to produce these austere images. Editor: Absolutely. The Art Nouveau style still lingers in the composition and the fluid lines of the figures, but the color is completely subdued. This is design tempered by external conditions. Look at how each fold and drapery creates a visual rhythm! Curator: Yes, it’s clearly propagating a specific ideal, a quiet dignity that also bolstered morale. We should not ignore the way grief transformed fashion, and how these “elegances” performed social duties. These are not extravagant displays of wealth, but perhaps a signal of somber respectability, during wartime. Editor: It's a poignant visual strategy, communicating respect. The figures and architectural setting add such beautiful counterpoints to the flatness of the printed page, so the figures really project out in space. You get this sense of depth…almost cinematic. Curator: Interesting point! Considering the time, those qualities likely did carry novelty, maybe some futuristic undertones. But thinking back to this “publication,” do you think its elegance offers mere distraction or also acts as an act of resistance amidst social trauma? Editor: Good question. I'd argue that it exists on both levels. It offered a sense of normalcy but equally, it documented a transformed reality, a society marked by war, recorded in the very details of their clothing. Curator: Indeed. Thanks for highlighting that balance and those rich contrasts—a lot to unpack here. Editor: My pleasure. A beautiful and surprisingly nuanced work, ripe for rediscovery.