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.
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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.
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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’.
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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.
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