De la comédienne au mannequin Icônes de la mode à la Comédie-Française

In naturalistic literature the eroticised beauty of actresses made of them models of elegance. ‘High life’ fashion took hold of those whose duty was to ‘display themselves’. ‘Advertising’ developed first in theatre revues, then in theatre programmes and actresses presented themselves as beauty advisors. With the increasing popularity of cinema in the early twentieth century and the establishment of international touring, Comédie-Française actresses remained, up until the 1960s, ambassadors for French haute couture.