The art of dressing: fashion and portraits in the Twenties
Nancy Cunard by Man Ray 1926
Much has been written on this iconic image by the inimitable Man Ray.
Although Man Ray considered himself an artist, his fashion portraits defined an era. The political activist Nancy Cunard was a widely photographed figure at the time and a muse to some of the 20th Century’s most distinguished writers and artists.
In many ways Cunard became the public embodiment of this new ‘modern’ woman in both dress and mentality. She rejected her upper class upbringing and in 1928 became involved with African-American jazz musician Henry Crowder. It was around this time that she became involved with civil rights and visited Harlem In New York- much to the extreme distaste of her American heiress mother.
Cunard’s style was unique to her and widely imitated. She was a fan of exotic prints and always wore bangles on both arms. Her hair was fashionably short and her lips and nails were always painted in deep red.
Category: 1920s and earlier, Fashion, Vintage news
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Nice inspiring article ! Incidentally, I’ve just seen the Coco Avant Chanel film. It is about the early life of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel and the path that led her to open her first shop in 1910; but it also does a good job at showing what it was like to be an avant garde convention-defying women in these times. Thank you for talking about Nancy Cunard in the article, she was indeed most stylish. Reading your article has prompted me to try and get my hand on some of her poetry !