Today’s dose of style comes from Forever 21 and their extensive assortment of ’80s tribal prints. Why we love Forever 21: the way they’ve repeatedly zoned in on the geometric possibilities of ’80s motifs and spruced them up with electric neon hues. What we wish they’d do differently: offer more shirts in fitted sizes to flatter those of us without model DNA. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the ’80s, it’s that baggier isn’t always better. Our solution: make pillows out of their over-sized tops.
Friday Video Pick: “Urgent” by Foreigner
Today we travel back to a time when the message of a rock song was so urgent, it made band members pulse with energy as they belted it out. Maybe the message was “Someday Love Will Find You” or “You’re as Cold as Ice,” or even more urgent that that: “Urgent!” Yes, today we celebrate that dire word proclaimed by the band Foreigner in their 1981 hit.
Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan
In honor of acclaimed indie director Whit Stillman’s new film Damsels in Distress, we travel back to the year 1990 and revisit his very first movie, the beloved Metropolitan. The plot is simple: a group of upper class college students on winter break navigate the social waters of New York’s debutante season. Long, puffy formal wear and Upper East Side apartments reflecting late ’80s elegance are screen staples, and an amazing script (written by Stillman) earned this gem of a film an Oscar nomination.
A New Take on ’80s Interior Design
When I first launched Mirror80, I would tell people I was covering 1980s design, and there would inevitably be a joke about teal and mauve color schemes. Of course, that didn’t stop me from using both colors in my logo! But over time, these notorious shades are starting to lose their stigma. Especially teal. Today we show you how this color is making a powerful comeback. For real!
Friday Video Pick: “Cowbell” by Takeshi Itoh
Today’s video comes from Polish director Zbigniew Rybczyński, whose work includes two previously-mentioned music videos on Mirror80: “All the Things She Said” by Simple Minds and “Candy” by Cameo. Known for his innovative visuals, often involving overlapping multiples of the musicians featured in each piece, Rybczyński is the perfect man to take Takeshi Itoh’s “Cowbell” into the realm of music video.
Lacquer Furnishings With ’80s Style
If you’ve read my post on acrylic furniture, you know I’ve been enjoying my new writing gig at Decoist, an online magazine specializing in interior design and architecture. From time to time, I’ll be pointing Mirror80 readers to my posts that highlight items with ’80s flair. If you’re into lacquer, this is your lucky day!
’80s Animal Art Motifs
If you’re ever tempted to ditch your collection of ’80s stickers, do yourself a favor hang onto these adhesive treasures! Not only are they works of art in themselves, they point to larger art and design trends from the 1980s. In fact, many people have chosen to revive their sticker collections, thanks to vendors like Etsy shop Vintage Sticker Love, which offers an amazing array of ’80s sticker selections.
Rad Men: If Mad Men Were Set in the 1980s…
Now that Season 5 of the hit series Mad Men has officially premiered, Mirror80 asks a burning question: “What if Mad Men were set in the 1980s?” Welcome to glamorous world of Wall Street yuppies and the complicated lives they lead. Amidst the leather, suede, mini-blinds and limitless cash flow are a group of stockbrokers so powerful, they are known as Rad Men to all they meet. They live a life of excess and follow a questionable moral code. Yet amidst the smoke and mirrors is a story—their story. Because these men just want to have fun. Let’s meet the players…
’80s-Style Decor From CB2
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.
Acrylic Furniture Finds
I recently started a new gig writing for the online design magazine Decoist. The site features interesting architecture and interior design finds, how-to advice for maintaining a stylish home, exciting new products, and collections of design strategies and ideas. I wanted to share one of my recent Decoist articles with Mirror80 readers–a piece on the wonders of acrylic furniture. Many acrylic finds have an ’80s Modern look, and the beauty of these clear furnishings is their versatility.
