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Les Feuillets d' Art, Volume II, le feuillets de la mode, "laissez-moi-feule!"
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Pochoir, literally the French
word for stencil, is both a centuries-old printmaking process and an important
chapter in modern graphic arts. Pochoir came to refer to fine stencil printing
in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. It reached its zenith in
Paris between 1910 and 1935 where it was used to decorate everything from
elegant fashion magazines and limited edition illustrated books, to greeting
cards, wallpapers and advertisements.
One of the foremost consumers of the pochoir genre in the early 20th century
was the fashion industry. In 1908 aspiring designer Paul Poiret, searching
for a unique way to promote his avant-garde couture, privately printed an
album of his designs to be given to potential clients. Les Robes de Paul
Poiret Racontees par Paul Iribe was an instant success with its svelte
models stenciled in vibrant, eye-catching colors and the scandalous cover
featuring a nude, coquettish Eve holding a luxuriant garland of apples and
roses.
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