Couturiers take the wheel
This Art Nouveau floral-patterned dolman mantle is influenced by the work of Jacques Doucet, the other father of French fashion.
Doucet (1853-1929), who joined the family business in 1874, aged just 21, succeeded in raising the status of the brand founded by his grandfather, creating the most expensive and refined evening wear of his time. The couturiers, who now called the shots, proposed silhouettes, styles, fabrics and colours, generating desire in customers, rather than following instructions. This popularity is clear when looking at other creations of the period that show their influence.
As well as being known for his pastel-toned costumes with lace and embroidery, he also possessed an unerring nose for new talent, supporting Paul Poiret and Madeleine Vionnet, for example, in their first steps.
In his childhood, he was friends with Gaston Worth and Jean-Philippe Worth, who would later carry on his father’s legacy.
Art Nouveau or Modernism emerged at the end of the 19th century, adopting different names in different countries, but with the same intention of rejuvenating art and liberating it through modernity as a declaration of the beginning of the new future.
As can be seen in the works of one of its main exponents, Alfons Mucha, nature was the major source of inspiration, so that floral motifs, leaves, stems and even insects intertwine to adorn an idyllic femininity.
