Early French hand-coloured fashion stencils

Clothes are designed to cover the body, but why not have more fun doing it? Styles constantly change and return with variations on a theme, but the period from 1912 to 1925 represented most changes that we can relate to today. Paris early established itself as the location of the finest fashion houses, and talented artists were employed to introduce the designers' fashions to the public. The Musée des Artes Decoratifs at the Louvre in Paris displays elegant illustrations by eminent fashion artists as well as actual costumes from previous eras.

The first luxury periodical that used the pochoir method of illustration was Journal des Dames et des Modes – Costumes Parisiens, published from 1912 to 1914. These small individually coloured stencils are now rarely seen. Couturier Paul Poiret employed the finest fashion artists, who between them created 180 different images over the two year period. Each image for each magazine utilized many different stencils for careful layering of gouache and watercolour by hand. Fashion notes and poetry were included in the periodical, but fashion illustrations were the drawcard.

Umberto Brunelleschii was a fashion illustrator as well as a designer, as was George Barbier who made his debut as a designer during the few years of this publication. Charming pochoir illustrations were also contributed by Armand Vallée, Roger Broders, Etienne Drian, and other fine artists. Journal des Dames et des Modes - Costumes Parisiens presented prominent designers' fashions in an appropriate setting. Each charming scene exemplifies elegant behaviour and privileged lifestyle, capturing the spirit of the era when they were painted, but many of the designs are still relevant today.

These delightful pochoir illustrations of Parisian fashion are still treasured by people of all ages, - particularly when enjoyed, framed on the wall. View and purchase from Antique Print Club online 24/7 at  http://www.antiqueprintclub.com/, or visit the Brisbane Antique Emporium, open daily from 10am to 5pm at 794 Sandgate Road Clayfield (entrance off Junction Road). Email sales@antiqueprintclub.com or phone 61 (0)7 5525 1363 for more information.

1920's Fabulous Fashion: Journal of Good Style

Gazette du Bon Ton. Arte - Mode et Frivolités (Journal of Good Style. Art, Fashion & Fun), or.. Gazette du Bon Ton. Modes et manieres d'aujourd'hui (Journal of Good Style. Fashion and Manners of the Day). A coveted periodical by both names, it was intended to appeal to the elite and was expensive (annual subscription of 100 francs is more than $400 today). Published in Paris around ten times a year from 1912 to 1925, its editor Lucien Vogel and distributor Condé Nast took over Gazette du Bon Ton in 1925, and then began Vogue magazine.

Unlike Vogue today, fashion illustrations for Gazette were each painted by hand, and inevitably were more popular than the magazine’s articles about privileged lifestyle. The finest fashion artists of the day were employed to draw and paint the latest elegant designs. Production of these pochoir was labour-intensive.

Each illustration required up to thirty individual zinc stencils to be cut. These were carefully overlaid for successive applications of ink, gouache and watercolour to build up the detail and mood of each image. Pochoirs were then attached to slips of paper for stapling into each paper cover, so that they would not be damaged. This enabled the 'fashion plates' to be removed easily for framing.  

(Quarter to 7. Music Hour)

French for stencil, 'pochoir' is universally used for these images, in recognition of French mastery of this process for illustrating fashion.   
Gazette du Bon Ton had exclusive contracts with seven of Paris's elite couture houses so that these designers' fashions were shown only in the pages of the Gazette. It was the first time that designers were publicly acknowledged for their fashion creations. A few of the artists were also designers and were allowed to include pochoirs of their own work.

(Lovely Secret)

Regular artists George Barbier, Pierre Brissaud, André-Edouard Marty, Thayaht (Ernesto Michahelles), George Lepape, Charles Martin, Étienne Drian, Maurice Taquoy, Eduardo Garcia Benito, and the David sisters, all had distinctive artistic styles (providing wide public appeal)  - and on occasion they imitated each other’s style. The most influential artist was George Barbier. The most modern interpretations were by Ernesto Michahelles who adopted the name ‘Thayaht’.

(The Indiscretion..)

Occasionally a double-size image was included - with a more detailed fashion narrative and subtle social comment. Fashions were shown in a suitable setting to indicate how to where them, and the frequently humorous titles add to their enjoyment. They are charming and timeless images, enjoyed by all. We are particularly fond of them ourselves, and have a great collection available from our website http://www.antiqueprintclub.com/c-23-fashionpochoir.aspx – or from our exhibition at the Brisbane Antique Emporium in Clayfield on the corner of Sandgate & Junction Roads – open every day from 10am to 5pm.