Inspiration Monday - Erté

When I studied costume design in college, my professor introduced me to the work of Erté.  I can't thank her enough!  Over the years I have been endlessly inspired by his amazing art and designs.

Romain de Tirtoff lived from 1892 - 1990 and worked under the pseudonym Erté during his illustrious career in art, fashion, and costume design.  He is very well known for designing over 200 covers for Harper's Bazaar and for his costume work in films such as Ben Hur and The Mystic.

Erté's art most commonly depicts women in lavish, outlandish, and extraordinarily creative ensembles.  Many of the garments in his art are not actually possible to produce, and others are like a puzzle to figure out.  But we don't have to be able to pattern and sew an Erté gown to be inspired by his style!

Looking through these images makes me want to play with strands of beads, tassels, knot work, vintage style metal stampings, rhinestones, and chains.  That's quite a list, but trust me, it doesn't stop there!  Art deco is one of my favorite styles, and Erté did it best!  How do these images inspire you?

-Megan