Deco Design

Ralph Lauren Spring Show 2013

A model in a beaded embroidered dress makes her way down the runway, a pastel pink boa flowing as the model does her turn at the end of the catwalk. Her vintage earrings dangle and her three inch deco heels glisten; Ralph Lauren has somehow managed to make you feel as though you have traveled back to the era of jazz and prohibition.

Designers such as Ralph Lauren, Jill Stuart, and Gucci have begun to incorporate 1920s Deco inspired fashion into their collections for 2013. From elegant silk dresses, to meticulously beaded garments, many aspects of this trend emulate the once iconic fashions of CoCo Chanel and Jean Patou. In Gucci's latest Spring show, metallic colors and fabrics were featured as a bold twist on these classic pieces. However, there is a disconnect between what the everyday woman would wear and what the designers envision her wearing. Bold fashion statements made on the runway do not always translate as bold walking down the street, more often than not they look strange and out of place. When women embody these trends and make them their own, the connection between designer and consumer is made.

Simplifying these looks and mixing them with modern pieces is the key to making this trend wearable by everyday women. Piling too many vintage pieces on top of each other can look as though you are trapped in a second hand store rather than dressing for present day. For example, taking a vintage dress, such as the one seen in Ralph Lauren's Spring 2013 show, and pairing it with a pink boa is something only Ralph Lauren could do on the runway. In real life however, matching a nice necklace or bracelet (or both as long as it is kept simple) would be a perfect addition while the boa would look like you had just walked off the stage of the musical Chicago.

As far as metallics, minimal is the way to go. Combining too many metallics can lead to looking like a giant disco ball. Choosing one metallic piece such as a blouse or dress, then centering the rest of your outfit around that key piece is a better way to incorporate this look.  Shopping sites such as Modcloth.com are an excellent example of how to properly blend modern and retro styles together to make wearable ensembles.

1920s actress and fashionista, Louise Brooks once said ,"When I went to Hollywood in 1927, the girls were wearing lumpy sweaters and skirts... I was wearing sleek suits and half naked beaded gowns and piles, and piles of fur." Breaking the mold, Brooks went on to become a famous actress and the “it girl” of her era. Having this same attitude, women in the twenty-first century can also create and individualize their own style, setting them apart from the rest of the fashion followers.

                                           

"A well dressed woman, even though her purse is painfully empty, can conquer the world."

-Louise Brooks