To Worship the Human Body

In 1911, fashion belatedly joined the other decorative arts that had shaped Art Nouveau since the 1880s, notably graphic design, architecture, and the refined crafts of jewelry, glass, and furniture making. A key turning point was Paul Cornu’s article “L’art de la robe” (“The Art of Dress”), published in the April issue of Art et Décoration [illustration 1a], a journal hitherto concerned primarily with architecture and interior design.2