Looking to reproduce the glamour and elegance of the Art Deco era? Take a look at our guide to some of the most decadant decades in history.
Art Deco, perhaps the most glamorous and popular style of the twentieth century, originated in Europe, particularly Paris, in the early 1900s. It is an elegant style of architecture and design, taking influence from the geometric and abstract shapes of Cubism as well as motifs from exotic cultures and nature, while exploiting innovations in materials and mass production.
A successor to the graceful linearity of Art Noveau, Art Deco, although still influenced by the natural world, is generally of a more geometric, disjointed character. The influence of Cubism is prominent. The bold colours, textures and angles echoed the new art movement pioneered by Pablo Picasso and George Braque.
In reaction to the austerity and suffering of the First World War, the following decades were years of glamour and excess. Foreign travel became immensely popular with the rich and famous. Safaris were the most fashionable sport and animal skins and ivory were the illustrious prizes to bring home. Exotic, exclusive materials combined with innovative design, created a cutting edge sophisticated look to aspire to.
In 1922 Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered gripping the public imagination and sparking an obsession for all things Egyptian. The grandeur and dramatic forms of the ancient Egyptian culture meshed perfectly with the shapes and forms in contemporary architecture and the growing penchant for luxurious materials. Sphinxes, pyramids and Egyptian inspired motifs appeared everywhere.
In the late 1920s the golden age of Hollywood began and a new celebrity culture arose. Newly bobbed starlets, such as Louise Brooks, could be seen in the latest fashions lounging in their lavish Art Deco surroundings. A whole new lifestyle for the emerging middle class to aspire to was created.
Cue the new age of consumerism. By the 1930s mass production using cheaper materials made the Art Deco style accessible to the general public. New plastics, such as bakelite, became an attractive alternative to the exotic and expensive skins, woods and ivory. Easily moulded, plastic could be formed to imitate the highly polished and decorative surfaces of the early Deco pieces.
Although surviving as escapism, the mass market for Art Deco was hit badly by the depression. Having grown out of the reaction to one World War the outbreak of another finally finished it off - until a rather unsatisfying revival in the early 1970s.
Josephine Baker Actress & Socialite
The quintessential 1920's flapper, Josephine Baker epitomised the jazz age, with her exuberant social life and rise to stardom as a stage and screen actress.
F Scott Fitzgerald Author & Socialite
His works best evoke the spirit of the Jazz Age (which he is also credited with naming).
Louise Brooks Actress
Best remembered for her starring role in the silent film 'Pandora's Box', Brooks was the embodiment of the Flapper spirit of glamorous hedonism.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh Architect, Designer and Artist
Born in Glasgow Mackintosh was the driving force behind Art Deco design and architecture.
Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann Furniture Designer
Ruhlmann concentrated on individual pieces, all handmade by specialist craftsmen, never seeking to take advantage of mass production.
Eileen Gray Designer
Gray developed an opulent, luxuriant take on the geometric forms. First as a lacquer artist, then a furniture designer and finally as an architect.
Clarice Cliff
China Designer
Bold, bright hand-painted designs and outrageous shapes are the hallmarks of Clarice Cliff's ceramics. Today she is regarded as one of the most influential ceramics artists of the Art Deco era.
Rene Lalique
Glass & Jewellery Designer
Rene Lalique, was one of France's foremost Art Deco designers. Although most famous for his art design in glass, he was also a noteworthy goldsmith and jeweller.
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