Happy endings. Puffy sleeves, ruffled collars, sparkling detail on costumes… This is the stuff of fairy tales. So how is any of this ’80s-specific? If the fairy tale was made in the ’80s, the sleeves were puffier, the collars frillier and everything was, well–sparklier!
Friday Video Pick: “Dolce Vita” by Ryan Paris
So you’re looking at this frozen screen, asking, “Why is Mirror80 posting an old travel video?” But we say: Stay with us–this is an amazing video that channels ’80s European style in a subtle yet effective way. And then there’s the song, so awesome that director Whit Stillman chose the track for the climactic scene of his 1998 masterpiece The Last Days of Disco, set in “the very early 1980s.”
Happy Valentine’s Day from Mirror80!
Before you peruse the rest of this post, do yourself a favor and hit “play” to experience Valentine’s Day by ABC. This ’80s dance track from British pop band ABC has all of the traits of an ABC hit: dramatic instrumentation, dramatic vocals, dramatic lyrics, a dramatic album cover…and an inexplicable “glam and glitz” quality. Plus, this one busts out an intense finale and is an all-around great soundtrack for your Valentine’s mood, whatever it may be…”When the postman don’t call on Valentine’s Day…”
Friday Video Pick: “Let Me Be the One” by Exposé
For this special “Valentine’s Day” edition of Friday Video Picks, Mirror80 was looking for the perfect video. A video whose heroines could conceivably live in a house with “candy-hued heart and rose” decor like this.
Mirror80 “Guest Blogs” for The 80’s Gallery!
Shortly before Mirror 80 was born, I began a voracious search for ’80s fashion and interior design resources on the internet. I was soon delighted to find an extensive collection of ’80s art and design items at The 80’s Gallery, Katie Cobler and Ken McGavin’s online gallery featuring jewelry, lighting, original artwork and other amazing collectibles, from sculpture to pottery.
A Very ’80s Valentine’s Day…
This Valentine’s Season, we spotlight the talented artisans and curators of Etsy! Enjoy perusing these treasures for him, for her and for you! A special thank-you to my Etsy friends for bringing these ’80s vintage and ’80s-inspired handmade items into our realm of gifting possibilities…
Friday Video Pick: Two of Hearts by Stacey Q
To kick off February, let’s rewind to 1986, when Stacey Q’s “Two of Hearts” became a top-five hit. How nicely its peppy sound complements this week’s earlier post about cute, shiny ’80s collectibles. But as is the case with many aspects of ’80s culture and style, there’s often more than meets the eye…
Spotlight: ’80s Cute
Shiny plastic, bright ceramics, grids, dots and diagonals… What fun it was to be a kid in the ’80s! I remember perpetually shopping at a store called It’s a Small World, hunting for the most colorful pens, stickers and toys I could find. And no color was spared–from pastels to hot candy hues, ’80s trinkets looked good enough to eat.
Friday Video Pick: “Radio Silence” by Thomas Dolby
Only Thomas Dolby can get away with mixing Greek statues, ’20s gramophones and vintage science motifs. This video is stylistically amazing. Some images seem to be lifted straight from a mad scientist’s lab, while others reference radio-age technology with a bit of whimsy.
The ’80s Scientific Aesthetic
“Science!” It’s not just a declaration from your favorite Thomas Dolby song… And believe it or not, the pictures above are not from your high school science textbook. They come from the movies and music videos of the 1980s, a decade in which science took center stage in the realm of entertainment.
