Famous Fashion Houses 1914

George Barbier made this illustration, Famous Fashion Houses, with pen and ink and pochoir sometime in the early 20th Century. It’s all about the process of fashioning a look, both literally and figuratively. There’s a kind of dreamy quality here. A woman reaches up to a tree, maybe picking fruit, or maybe she’s just posing. The color palette is soft, almost pastel-like, and everything is outlined, making the forms feel both flat and decorative. Look at the way the lines define the folds of her dress, creating a sense of movement and texture. The lines aren’t trying to trick us into thinking this is real, but showing off artifice in a playful way. It reminds me of some of Erté’s fashion illustrations, where the emphasis is on elegance and style. Both artists create a world of beauty and luxury, inviting us to dream. Ultimately, art offers a space for imagining different ways of being.