Ah, back to school season in the ’80s. When the biggest dilemma was whether or not to help your nerdy classmate become popular in exchange for a payment of $1,000. This is child’s play compared to the angst and parental guilt that this year’s pandemic back-to-school season has unleashed. It’s time to escape again, and nostalgia is here for you.
Back to School, Retro-Style
Back-to-school season has arrived! Whether you’ve actually headed back to school or you’re entering a new busy season of life, don’t let the weight of your daily schedule get you down. Instead, fill your desk with colorful school supplies!
7 Retro-Modern Instagram Accounts to Follow
Got any favorite Instagram accounts? Today I’m sharing a few of mine. By no means a comprehensive list, these selections represent an established and emerging retro-modern design voice that Mirror80 couldn’t be more excited about. Check out the suggestions that follow, and then leave a comment telling me about YOUR favorite Instagram accounts to keep up with. Seriously, I’d love to get a conversation going. And now, without further ado…
’80s Patterns and Prints
There’s no denying that patterns have made a comeback. Designers and illustrators are creating some amazing patterns and prints for textiles, wall art and more (and don’t get me started on the pattern phenomenon on Pinterest)! In light of recent developments, I thought I’d take another look at one of my favorite books: 1980s Fashion Print by Marnie Fogg. Here are a few patterns that seem as relevant today as they did back in the ’80s!…
New Albums with ’80s-Style Cover Art
Happy Wednesday, Everyone! Today we take a look at three new albums that showcase some amazing ’80s-style cover art. The kind of cover art that could easily become wall art in your home! In fact, I’m currently working on an album cover montage for my entryway, and today’s selections are serious contenders…
Beautiful Colors: The Posters of Duran Duran
What’s your favorite Duran Duran song? The track that was the game-changer… You heard it once and knew you were hooked! For me it was “Rio.” For Duran Duran archivist Andrew Golub, it was “The Reflex”. One listen, and he was a devoted fan. In fact, Andrew, known as Durandy, has been collecting paper-based Duran Duran ephemera for more than 2o years. He’s amassed the largest Duran Duran archive in the world, which includes over 1,500 posters, more than 10,000 pages of magazine articles, 150 books, and memorabilia such as a board game, a briefcase and a zippered purse. Ready to see the collection? Now you can, thanks to Golub’s recent publication, a coffee table book titled Beautiful Colors: The Posters of Duran Duran.
’80s Art and Design Inspiration
Happy Friday, Everyone! Many of you have written in and shared your design ideas with me, and one thing’s for sure: Mirror80 readers love being creative. From interior design endeavors to art and writing projects, your ideas have truly inspired me. Today I thought I’d post about inspiration… What inspires you?!
Happy Holidays
Are you a fan of ’80s art? Perhaps you’ll love this 1980s-style holiday card as much I do… Created by artist and graphic designer Taylor Hillestad, this artistic greeting showcases the Deco design and clean lines of our favorite decade. When Taylor sent the card my way, I knew I wanted to share it with Mirror80 readers just in time for Christmas! Taylor’s inspiration: ’80s landscape art, Deco style and the use of gradients.
’80s Scientific Motifs
Science! This isn’t the first time we at Mirror80 have turned our attention to the slew of scientific visuals that permeated the 1980s. The rise of the personal computer, the development of Reagan’s “Star Wars” program, and a range of technological breakthroughs became a focus in the news, but these events also infiltrated pop culture and helped create a “scientific aesthetic.” Musicians such as Thomas Dolby and film directors like Martha Coolidge incorporated this look into their creative works. Today we celebrate ’80s scientific visuals, as well as the way they reflected society’s enthusiasm for (and concerns about) technology during the decade of decadence…
The ’80s Connection: Arturo Bozeman Hernandez
About a year ago, I began corresponding with Arturo Bozeman Hernandez, a California entrepreneur who shares my love of 1980s design. One of the many things that impressed me at that time was his knowledge of ’80s graphic design. Then I became aware of the impressive level of detail Art puts into his own creations, particularly when it comes to the graphic design for Rocksteady Fitness, the business he owns with his lovely wife Melissa (he is the Marketing and Operations Manager and she is the Head Trainer). With locations in Ventura and Oxnard, California, Rocksteady offers personal training, group classes and massage therapy.
