ART DÉCO FRANCE AMÉRIQUE DU NORD

The wind of change and of freedom blowing through France before the First World War was both the consequence of industrial progress initiated in the previous century and the reflection of a great creative effervescence. It echoed the incipient emancipation of women. But more than that, it bore the mark of highly talented, daring and visionary avant-garde men and women. Whether they were couturiers, designers of fashion accessories, perfumers or cosmeticians, all were keen to break with tradition and embrace a more contemporary outlook. Some, such as François Coty, Lucien Lelong and André Pérugia, established privileged relations with the United States very early on, settling there and making a career on both sides of the Atlantic, demonstrating an extraordinary capacity for adaptation.