Is there something Belle Epoque going on?
Here's a portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer (1907) by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt:
And here's a photograph by Camilla Akrans of Mariacarla Boscono in the latest edition of Vogue Nippon:
Here's Klimt's Fulfillment (1909):
And here's an image from a recent edition of Vogue Italia featuring Siri Tollerod:
Now I know there's been a Neisha Crosland decorative wallpaper thing going on for some time. The stagey formality of photographers Mert & Marcus is influential. And fashion likes grand gestures (doh).
But there are other things around, like Prada's Spring -Summer 09 ad campaign:
And Lanvin's campaign for the same season:
Isn't there something Byzantine in all of this?
Something with no movement, no intimacy and flat rhythmics?
In Klimt's day, exoticism gave way to the First World War.
Hopefully in our era it's just a flier for a car boot sale at Harvey Nichols.
Camilla Akrans image via Alexandra's favoriter. Siri Tollerod via Childhood Flames. Ad images via Frillr.
