Welcome to The Textile Trunk ~ Please follow us on Instagram we are @textiletrunk ~ I'm absolutely thrilled to present this exceptional, original fashion drawings / illustrations created in the 1920s for the house of LOUISE CHERUIT , haute Couture, Paris. Exceptionally rare and wonderful. This is the work of one designer employed by the most famous houses of high fashion of the 20's in Paris (CHANEL, PATOU, LANVIN, LELONG, DOUCET, VIONNET, MOLYNEUX, CHERUIT, PAQUIN, PREMET, JENNY, PIGUET, WORTH, ROLANDE, MILLER, DRECOLL, BOULANGER, RENEE, MADELEINE & MADELEINE, etc.). The "G" penciled in the upper right corner of the drawings corresponds to the attributed artist . As usual at the time, the model's silhouette is mimeographed, but the clothing is drawn with ink and then finely rendered with gouache and watercolor. These sketches were then used to guide craftsmen in the workshop constructing the garment. In the lower left corner or at the back of the drawings is also included the "coded" name of the house to which they are intended. "Che", "Chrt", "Cht" for Chéruit). This type of mock-up is the work of designer-creators whose talents were employed by most high fashion houses of the Roaring Twenties. These companies needed the help of artists either because, like Chanel, they did not draw themselves or because the scale of the biannual collections at the time (between 300 and 400 models twice a year!) required the their help. As per custom, the artists' identities remained in the shadows. You will see notations meant as instructions for the workshop such as fabric type, cut, and texture. These rare and wonderful finds were purchased in France and heavily researched with great help and thanks to Laurent Cotta, an Art and fashion historian. Laurent Cotta has been Director of the Contemporary Creation Department at the Palais Galliera for 12 years. With his great help we unraveled the mystery of the coding system of each of these rare documents. Each sketch has been executed on paper and I've backed them in black construction paper to help the illustration stand out. They are not in any way adhered to the black paper, just wanted them to stand out in the photographs more clearly. They are each housed in a plastic envelope to protect the illustration. Ideal for any museum, private collector or ideal too for reproduction. I'm afraid due to the nature of these designs being highly sought after for reproduction, I'm not able to take returns on this purchase. ( please see my reviews to buy in confidence) For more information, please see below condition ~ Measurements : This illustration measures approximately 10.5 inches by 5.25 inches Condition: These illustrations are in wonderful condition . Some have some marks, foxing and perhaps some small tears on a few. Please use the zoom feature to view the exact condition closely. Please ask any questions before purchase as I'm happy to supply any further information.