Art Deco Mania Or Can I Just Wear South Beach Miami on a String?

Well.... Art Deco mania has hit hard and those of you that have been lucky enough to view the eye candy at South Beach, Miami know that if we could shrink any of those gorgeous Art Deco hotels and put them on a fringy black ribbon, we would have a sensational necklace! Oh wait a minute, Lanvin has already done that for their fantastic 2008 fall runway show!

Art Deco was a design movement that was a big reaction to the earlier Art Nouveau style which was curvy, natural, flowing and floral. Deco reigned from 1925 to 1939 and affected everything in the visual art world. Think of the old movie theatre interiors with geometric stacked designs, frozen waterfalls, modernistic shapes. Egyptian, African, Aztec Mexican abstract designs meet Machine Age. I love this wonderful design period that used bright colors, clean lines, and ethnic influences.

Art Deco was considered elegant and stylishly modern and architecture wasn't the only place it affected. Graphic arts (you know those great posters from the 20ies), painting (think cubism) and industry (aviation, ocean liners, skyscrapers, even radios) were all showing that we had entered a new modern age and it was hip to be square....and rectangular and circular!

Art Deco Jewelry said" bye bye "to the vine inspired shapes of the turn of the century and" hello baby" to the elegant modern look of the Deco period. Rhinestones formed into stacked skyscraper shapes, circles on squares, stainless steel, chevron patterns and sunburst patterns were popular on earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Pins were worn on cloche (helmet shaped) hats, shoulders and belts.

Women had just gotten the vote and wanted to show off their new found freedoms so styles reflected this. Waistlines dropped, hemlines were raised, bathing suits were born, and ropes of pearls were popular . Young women drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes from long holders, began to go to college, entered the workplace, showed their sexuality, wore makeup, got their hair bobbed, bared their legs, adopted a boyish, androgynous look and danced the night away at Jazz clubs. Red lips, white faces, black rimmed eyes presented a startling new look. Even the older ladies followed the younger gals in this new modern style. This is when the French couture houses of Lanvin, Chanel and Cartier were launched and still have a huge influence in today's styles.

Listen to a little Cole Porter, have a scotch and soda, light up a Camel, get a bob haircut and don't forget to check out the Art Deco style at vintagecouturejewelry.com!

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