Charismatic fashion illustrator and set designer Christian Bérard (1902 1949) was a creative genius and sought-after member of the international Café Society set.Painter, illustrator, decorator, and tastemaker Christian Bérard was a central figure in the creative heart of Paris when art and fashion in the city mingled at their apex. A guru of good taste, he painted ethereal figures and sublimated his high fashion illustrations with a sharp and witty hand. Bérard lived passionately and sought out enchantment in all forms?from high society to city life, from fashion to theater, from stage set design to interiors. He collaborated with powerhouses such as Jean Michel Frank, Christian Dior, and Elsa Schiaparelli, and designed the set and costumes for Jean Cocteau's film Beauty and the Beast. A regular at every Café Society event, he also worked for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar for over a decade. Bérard's vision?which oscillated between serious and casual, melancholy and joie de vivre, nostalgia and revival?continues to inspire collectors today.