Much Ado About Mucha

Every now and then I come across a print that I positively obsess over; I just can't get enough.  This Mucha Print from Selkie is such a print.  There were plenty of nice prints in the Spring '22 collection, but the Mucha print is what really stole my heart.  I am a longtime lover of all things Alphonse Mucha, ever since I first saw a book mark with In Quest of Beauty on it, I've been a fan.  Years later I studied the great man while taking a class on the history of illustration and graphic design and I loved him even more.  

Czech artist Alphonse Mucha was born in 1860 and rose to fame in 1895 while living in Paris after creating the poster for the play Gismonda starring acclaimed French actress Sarah Bernhardt.   Bernhardt was so pleased with his work that that she ordered 4,000 copies of the poster and a six year contract with Mucha. It has been said that Sarah fancied herself as the true driving force behind Art Nouveau by so supporting Alphonse's career.

There are people in this world who make it a more beautiful place and Alphonse Mucha was truly one of those people.  From theater posters to Job cigarette labels, everything he touched became a work of art.  Not to mention that he revolutionized the idea of posters as art and forever immortalized French starlet of the stage Sarah Berhardt who led an amazing life in her own right, would surely have faded from all memory had she not been captured in Mucha's illustrated advertisements for her plays which are today still sold and displayed around the world one hundred years after her death. 

It would be another two years before I would finally travel to Paris, to see the great city with all its architecture, museums, and culture, including revered works of the Art Nouveau movement of which Mucha is surely the forerunner and poster child himself, pun intended.  

I took home many gifts for family, but for myself, I only took, photos, memories, and a single poster of Alphonse Mucha's Bieres de la Meuse, which hung in every home I occupied until it began to fray at the edges and I decided to put it away until I could have it properly framed.

And so, you see, my recent purchases of multiple Mucha printed dresses goes beyond a mere fancy for the newest fad.  It is in fact the fruition of a longstanding love affair with a time when flourish was conventional rather than extravagant, a time when skill and artistry were poured into one's work no matter how trivial it may seem.   It is the celebration of the brilliant works of a great artist in a wearable tribute.

As far as a quick dress review goes, let me just say that this dress has its issues, like there doesn't seem to be a strapped bra in the world that will not show with these wide set sleeves which are constantly falling down, and lots of buyers struggle with the bust to waist ratio, but all in all, there is a lot to love about this dress and I am willing to overlook the flaws. 

Decided Pros to this dress include that the cotton is much lighter then the Etoile dress, the print is stunning and the fitted waist and full skirt are incredibly flattering if you can manage to figure out which size you need and snag one before it immediately sell out.

If you haven't been waiting for them for seven months like me then my crazed search for these Mucha dresses may seem ridiculous but when you factor in how long I've been waiting an the fact that so many other people are still waiting and will perhaps never be satisfied, maybe this kind of obsession is just what it takes when it comes to Selkie.

Shopping Info:  Mucha Print Day Dress from Selkiecollection.com