History of the dépôts de modèles, when photography defended creativity

In the lavish halls of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the exhibition from November 6, 2024, to January 26, 2025, “Fashion in Models” sheds an unexpected light on a practice blending beauty and strategy: the model deposit. Behind almost obsessively precise black-and-white photographs, the 1920s-1930s reveal a discreet yet decisive struggle against counterfeiting. These images, more than mere aesthetic archives, become legal weapons for designers like Jeanne Lanvin, Madeleine Vionnet, and Elsa Schiaparelli. Through carefully draped pleats and intricate embroidery, each image captures a brand’s DNA while asserting its authority, reminding us that in an era where ideas circulated faster than they could be protected, to be seen meant also risking being copied.

At the turn of the 20th century, Paris, the fashion capital, was also a playground for counterfeiters. Faced with the urgency to protect authenticity, the model deposit emerged. This clever process turned creations into tangible evidence, giving photographs a dual purpose: to celebrate craftsmanship while ensuring its integrity. But these photos were not mere legal forms; they also tell a story of silent rivalries and creativity under pressure. Madeleine Vionnet, a pioneer of the bias cut, distinguished herself in this battle in 1921, defending her inventions against barely disguised copies. Paradoxically, the need to protect spurred innovation: each photo had to appeal to both jurists and customers, proving that even under constraint, fashion turns its limits into a driver of creativity.

Today, these archives raise a staggering question: in a world dominated by artificial intelligence, where every idea can be imitated in the blink of an eye, what remains of authenticity? If photographs of the past served to protect tangible works, contemporary creations must now navigate a space where the boundaries between originality and plagiarism blur. Can a machine imitate the essence of a house, its aesthetics? And if so, who holds the ownership? Fashion in Models reminds us that the battle to preserve uniqueness has never been won. On the contrary, in this new technological ecosystem, it is just beginning. The exhibition prompts reflection: in a world where fast fashion overwhelms craftsmanship, luxury might be the last stronghold against uniformity.