One of Lefor-Openo’s best-known advertising images, this poster fully embraces Mayor Pierre Coulon’s vision for a new Vichy. Issued as a general travel campaign both domestically and throughout Europe, it promotes the many leisure activities, from sports to gambling, that can be enjoyed in the region. While some poster historians have claimed that the central figure is meant to be the actress Brigitte Bardot, who wore a similar dress for her marriage to Jacques Charrier in 1959, there is no evidence that this is the case (not least because the poster was printed before their wedding). The distinctive pink gingham is more likely a reference to Vichy check, a fabric historically associated with the region. Some historians have also asked if the same figure is intended to be a Black woman. While impossible to state with certainty, Lefor-Openo created a handful of posters featuring elegant, sophisticated Black women as well as designs that incorporated racist stereotypes. Since Vichy was a wealthy spa town eager to attract an upper-class clientele, it is more likely that the figure has a deep suntan—a trend among the jet-setters who wanted to show off their ability to travel to sunny locations all year round.
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