Redfern Fashion Plate Suffragette Early Womens Rights Edwardian or Victorian

On offer is a fascinating late Victorian fashion plate from the Parisian couture house, Maison Redfern. On the absolute vanguard of fashion at the time, "The Maison Redfern was the first fashion house to offer women a tailored suit based directly on its male counterpart and the extremely practical and soberly elegant garment soon became an indispensable part of the wardrobe of any well-dressed woman."

This plate appears to be in chromolithography, and depicts a woman in a richly embroidered dress. Note the cane, an indispensable accessory for woman of the era who emulated Alexandra of England's limp. This plate looks to be from the early 1890s, and perhaps most interesting, the woman is depicted standing before a podium. This would have been virtually unthinkable, let alone unfashionable, during most of the 19th century. The print in this pose suggests autonomy from family and a life in the public eye, a greatly modern notion of a woman's place.

It measures 11.75 inches or 30 CM tall including the filigree frame, and 10 inches or 25.5 CM wide. Condition is relatively good, with foxing in one area below the podium, though this could likely be professionally cleaned away. The frame is backed in cork, with a label that reads "FOR AUTUMN WEAR."

Fascinating piece.

If you have any questions or are interested in the piece, please do not hesitate to contact me. New items are often posted to Instagram first, @NickHausShop