Reflecting on recent retro style
Well, it’s been a minute!
This year we’re keeping our “Thanksgiving table” simple with a fall picnic and fresh food.
A post on learning to run the race, even if you’re still figuring it all out…
Today’s post is about pasta. And unpredictability.
Today’s Friday Video Pick is a new piece that’s exploding with ’80s motifs. Grids, LaserDiscs, Trapper Keeper-ish graphic design and references to artist Patrick Nagel are a few of the many 1980s flourishes packed into this six-minute style fest featuring LA Vampires. There’s even a plasma ball that may as well have been plucked from the shelves of The Sharper Image in all of its electrified glory.
They are works of art with a wristband. They are slices of ’80s graphic design heaven. They are Swatch Watches, and they’re back! Did you wear two Swatches at once? Did you own a Swatch guard? After all, who needs to see the face of your watch if you can protect it with a neon statement in rubber. The good news: thanks to eBay, Etsy and vendors like SwatchandBeyond.com, you can hunt down the Swatch that got away.
While we at Mirror80 love to speculate on the return of ’80s design, some would say it’s already back! From museum retrospectives featuring Memphis-Milano furniture to a growing number of collectors hunting for original 1980s fine art, the interest in a full-blown revival is there. But it’s also fun to note the number of mainstream pieces that have an ’80s look or mix well with decor from our favorite decade. Today we scan the offerings of popular retailer CB2 to find eye-catching items with the power to bring a hint of the 1980s home to roost.
Today we celebrate the stylish world of Pee-wee’s Playhouse. Paul Reubens produced, directed and starred in this popular CBS children’s television show, which combined live action, puppetry and video animation. The program was based on Reuben’s popular stage show that featured his beloved character Pee-Wee Herman. The set of Pee-wee’s Playhouse channeled Mid-Century Modern design, particularly the geometric, Space Age style known as Googie.
Spring is in the air, and geometric clothing reminiscent of the ’80s is in stores, most notably at Forever 21! Some of this geometry channels a tribal vibe, such as the ’80s Southwestern look. Other shape-filled tops remind us of childhood and its playfully bright forms. And we can’t forget the way geometry can channel the future, or at the very least, a modern feel that manages to be retro at the same time.
It’s a wonderful sign when you can purchase furniture reminiscent of the 1980s at your favorite modern stores. In fact, ’80s-style furniture is creeping its way back into the mainstream. Which styles and materials seem to be capturing the attention of shoppers? Geometric pieces featuring lacquer and mirrors.
Mirror80 wraps up DIY week with a makeover-themed music video from the movie Earth Girls Are Easy starring Geena Davis and Julie Brown. Stylistically, the film channels that magical blend of Mid-Century style and ’80s Modern flair. In the video for “Brand New Girl,” characters dance around a beauty shop that combines elements of 1950s decor and 1980s motifs a la Memphis-Milano design. Let the film’s sets inspire you and the makeover mood empower you to embrace DIY magic in the realms of interior design and fashion.
This past weekend, our friends at The 80s Gallery were featured in a San Francisco Chronicle article titled “Collectors Give 80s Postmodernist Design 2nd Look.” The piece, written by Bertrand Pellegrin, celebrates the return of bright, bold and shiny 1980s furniture and collectibles.
For today’s Pic Fix, we’ve grabbed our favorite images from past Mirror80 blog posts for a snapshot of 1980s style. From a colorful dessert to a celebration of album cover graphics, these pics reflect the vibrancy and geometry of ’80s design.
This week Mirror80 pays homage to the wonderful world of teen-targeted media. If you think ’80s graphic and product design had eye-catching appeal, you can bet design efforts were cranked up a few notches to grab the attention of teenagers. Imagine the set of Saved by the Bell, then imagine if it were edible. That’s right–teen products looked good enough to eat (which is a bit scary since many of them were drugstore items). Graphic designers packed advertisements with candy forms and colors. Here are a few of our favorites, taken from the November 1990 issue of Teen Magazine, starting with the ad for Malibu Musk, shown above.
