Posters on the Tracks of Fashion (in Dutch only)

Posters on the Tracks of Fashion (in Dutch only)Belgian railway posters convey an ideal of the traveler. From the elegant spa-goer and the fashionable seaside tourist of the early 1900s to the emancipated female tennis player of the 1920s, and from the business commuter of the 1960s to the jeans-and-backpack-clad Interrail backpacker of the 1970s, the fashions depicted in the posters closely mirror the evolution of society.This lecture explores how the art of the Belgian poster, tourism, and the railways combine to paint a fascinating portrait of over a century of evolving sartorial culture. Designers deliberately used fashion to express social status, modernity, freedom, and identity. The clothing worn by the travelers depicted often contrasts with local traditions or railway uniforms, reflecting the dreams, ambitions, and lifestyles of each era. At the same time, the poster itself evolved. Art Nouveau, lithography and offset printing, modernist graphic design, Pop Art, and contemporary graphic styles kept pace with changing silhouettes, fabrics, and dress codes. Thus, our railway posters reveal not only where people traveled but also who they wereor who they aspired to become. Through an exceptional selection of posters from the history of Belgian railways, we encounter artists inspired by the past and discover how fashion left its mark on the visual imagery of travel, while the art of the poster became a unique mirror of social and aesthetic evolution.Posters on the Tracks of Fashion (in Dutch only)Location: Place Princesse Elisabeth, 5, 1030 Schaerbeek