[Le Journal Advertisement with Costumed Models]
Not on view
Long before mod model Twiggy flaunted her photo-illustrated newsprint shift, paper outfits were a costume staple and an advertising standby. Artfully attired in issues of the popular Paris daily Le Journal, two women pose for this promotional ad. On the left in pinwheel sleeves and a seaworthy chapeau, one affects the extravagance of a socialite. Her pant-suited companion, with her chic bob and camera case, conducts an interview in the role of lady reporter. The playful scene cultivates a stylish spectrum of Journal readership, whose ranks any prospective subscriber would be lucky to join. Meanwhile, their polished studio portrait conjures a longer history of camera-ready commercial costumes. In the Victorian era, retailers hired women to adorn themselves in goods for sale, then parade the streets and pose for photographs. Heirs to those so-called Banner Ladies, this paper-clad Parisian duo models a meta-approach to advertising in print.
