Toujours Chic Les Deshabillés, Hiver 1921-1922: Rose-noir 1921 - 1922

Curator: Look at this delightful pen drawing, "Toujours Chic Les Deshabillés, Hiver 1921-1922: Rose-noir," by G-P. Joumard, created between 1921 and 1922. It's currently housed right here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first thought is… effortless cool! The high-waisted trousers and unstructured jacket feel so modern, yet there’s a definite nod to the visual language of Art Deco. It's sleek and chic. Curator: It's a beautiful example of how fashion illustrations functioned in their time. The image, as a sign, isn't simply communicating styles. It shows aspiration and a certain type of post-war, flapper-era femininity. What symbols are being reinforced through this drawing? Editor: Absolutely! You can't ignore the subtle power dynamics inherent in representations of women's fashion. Think about how visual presentation has, for centuries, played a role in dictating social standing and controlling expressions of gender. How “chic” could only apply to women from particular socio-economic conditions? The bobbed hair is part of that coded look, signaling independence, but also adherence to specific trends accessible only to the wealthy. Curator: That is true, but there is also a break from past conventions embedded here; perhaps less overtly controlling than in the past. The drawing depicts specific fabrics: a black Cresus satin for the pants, and a pink petal satin tunic over a lamé vest. These were not accessible fabrics to just everyone, but did express status through clothing—like the flappers' beaded dresses—marking a kind of new freedom that arose after the war. Editor: Yes, but it is an aesthetic freedom, isn’t it? Still bound by class and even race. While this image might present a specific ideal of modernity, it remains constrained. Whose modernity are we actually celebrating here, and what does the visual economy of fashion mean for women then and today? Curator: Indeed. This one little drawing has certainly opened up a trove of interconnected questions and answers. It is a striking visualization of what clothing meant in a world of changing cultural symbols. Editor: Absolutely, and seeing art as bound to social and historical forces helps us understand how the seemingly benign world of fashion has deep implications.