Costume Design 

This Costume Design was conceived by Erte, the pen name of Romain de Tirtoff, a Russian-born French artist and designer who flourished in the Art Deco era. The work presents a figure adorned in a theatrical costume. The most striking formal elements are the repeated floral motifs that encircle the figure’s neck, waist and ankles. Each flower contains a human face, their expressions uniform and stylized. This repetition creates a sense of pattern and rhythm, a key component in Erte’s wider body of work. The flowers and faces can be understood as signs. Together they produce an allegory of the artist's engagement with themes of identity and representation. The color palette is soft, dominated by shades of pink and yellow, which evokes a sense of fantasy. The pose of the figure, with arms outstretched, reinforces the theatricality of the design. Ultimately, this artwork serves not just as a design, but as an exploration of the semiotic potential inherent within costume. It destabilizes the conventional notions of representation, by inviting viewers to decode its underlying meanings.