Fashion (Mode) 1912

This fashion plate was made around 1910, by Otto Friedr. Carl Lendecke, and is rendered with graphite, ink, and watercolor on paper. It is deceptively simple. The image is a product of complex social forces and labor divisions. Consider the dress: a sheath of pink, trimmed with cascades of ruffles, all topped by an enormous hat. It speaks to the immense textile industry that flourished in Europe at the time. This fashion depended not only on skilled dressmakers, but also on legions of factory workers producing cloth. The parasol, another delicate structure, implies the global trade networks bringing materials like silk and bamboo to workshops. And of course, the paper itself, manufactured to spread this image, and fuel the engine of desire. The figure embodies a certain kind of consumer, but also the labor required to sustain that lifestyle. By attending to the material and social context of this drawing, we can appreciate its connection to the wider world of production and consumption.