Mallarmé On Fashion
The only reason I would be reading a book about a French fashion magazine that existed in 1874 is if there is something odd about the magazine and its editor. In two words: Stéphane Mallarmé. For a mysterious reason, Mallarmé, undoubtedly one of the great poets from France, had a job where he not only edited but also wrote the entire magazine, using various alias. He managed to produce eight copies of "La Dernière Mode." "Mallarmé on Fashion" is a pretty interesting book on multi-levels. One is the thought of such an avant-garde poet of his time and place, working on a fashion magazine in complete control, as well as a bit of fashion history and the importance of fashion in French culture, especially in the 19th century.
Mallarmé writes as a woman as well as a man in this magazine. The magazine is very formalized in its format. As "Madame de Ponty," she writes about contemporary fashion trends in Paris and elsewhere. As "Ix" (now that is a mysterious name), he's a stuffy theater and book critic. He mainly has a certain amount of anger about music taking over text on the Parisian stage, and then there is a food section, where they have elaborated menus and recipes. There is also a correspondence section, where the editor gives fashion advice, and a travel section recommending travel points and where to stay on vacation. At the end of the issue, Mallarmé offerer what is best in Parisian entertainment for that month or season. He covers everything from music hall entertainment and opera to city parks. It is very much like Time Out or Los Angeles Weekly directory.
Mallarmé was known to be interested in the decorative arts, so it's not a massive surprise that he would write about rooms' interior design, but his intense knowledge of fashion is new to me. Oddly, Mallarmé is critiquing the fashion world, but even more so, the fashion magazine. I think he sees it as a window to what is happening culture-wise - so readers now get a unique portrait of Paris 1874 through the eyes of Mallarmé, but him using various identities to convey that world. Again, it is not known why he did this. It could have been for a paycheck, but he did so by not just writing one column or as editor - but doing it all! In many ways, it was an upscale zine of its time. He wanted to do more than eight issues, but the publisher (not him) pulled the plug on the project.
"Mallarmé on Fashion" is very much a scholarly textbook and is geared for the lit-crit lunatic. Still, it is also an essential book for anyone studying the Parisian culture of the 19th century, as well as what 'pop culture was like in those days. Editors and translators P.N. Burbank and A.M. Cain do a great job presenting Mallarmé in the complex (not delicate) high and low fashion world. Fascinating book.
There's a whiff of upscale fanzine here! He certainly has a lively glint in his eyes...