Gazette du Bon Ton, 1921 - No. 3, Pl. XII: Costume tailleur, de Jeanne Lanvin; et robe pour les courses, de Beer 1921

Curator: Oh, I do like the quiet confidence of this image. Shall we have a closer look? It's an illustration from the Gazette du Bon Ton, dated 1921. The print showcases a tailoring costume by Jeanne Lanvin and a race day dress by Beer. Editor: Immediately, what strikes me is this muted palette. The chalky reds against the toned paper, it feels both contemporary and somehow ancient. Curator: Indeed. The art deco influence is subtle yet apparent. What I find fascinating are the hats. Both seem like visual metaphors for status and perhaps even a kind of armor. Editor: I completely agree. Especially on the left, there is this rigid geometry—it's not merely about fashion; it's projecting a sense of controlled power, like, "Observe, but do not touch." Curator: And the figure on the right, seated, draped...she suggests a world-weariness that could be about anticipating an event—waiting for luck, waiting for opportunity. Her adornment implies privilege, sure, but it does not safeguard her. Editor: You're pulling out layers I didn't see initially. This balance of power and vulnerability...that little flounce of fabric here or the severe angle of that hat, such intentional, coded messaging. Curator: Precisely. And that tension, for me, is held beautifully in this duality – active and contemplative, exposed and hidden, tailored and adorned – it hints at the larger societal conversations that art deco always brings into frame. Editor: It's fascinating how something seemingly so of-the-moment like fashion, when viewed through this lens, becomes a historical and psychological document. So much contained in so few, deceptively simple lines. Curator: Ultimately, it's not simply about aesthetics, it’s about embedding a cultural dialogue into something we may at first casually label as ‘art’ or even ‘design’. That is why I enjoy such investigations. Editor: Yes! Absolutely…thank you. It is definitely more evocative than I first expected—off to contemplate some flounces now.