By ELLEN LEWIS
It has been awhile since I compared a museum worthy work of art to a piece of lingerie. But when I saw the Lise Charmel Spring 2018 Fleurs de Jungle Collection at Curve last August, it was an easy make. This lush jungle print evokes Henri Rousseau’s 1910 painting, The Dream. A masterpiece emblematic of much of Rousseau’s work, the chimerical imagery is a harbinger of surrealism. Complicated color compositions (this painting is reputed to have 22 shades of green) and intriguing juxtapositions create an exotic landscape.
Fleurs de Jungle’s vibrant color palette speaks for itself. But it’s the correlation of French leavers laces, detailed embroidery and 19mm silk in tandem with this luscious print that defines these intimates as a Lise Charmel masterpiece. Meant to evoke a sensual experience for both the observer as well as the woman wearing them, these pieces are individual works of lingerie art. Like Rousseau, who was not recognized by the “everyman” until Picasso discovered and lauded him as a model of probity, the Lise Charmel brand’s extraordinary artistry has not always been embraced by the t-shirt bra loving, machine washing American consumer. Appreciation of lingerie as an art form in an environment prone to puritanical practicality takes time. However, in a retail climate where everything is accessible, excellence and imagination will eventually dictate the value of a product. It happened to Rousseau in the early 1900’s and it’s happening to Lise Charmel now.
“The Picture Radiates Beauty, That is Indisputable” ~Guillaume Apollinaire
