History of Art Deco
Art Deco, short for “French Arts Décoratifs”, is a visual design style famously known for its sleek and futuristic aesthetic. During the 1920s and 1930s, it reached its heights when people were pulled in by its vintage and luxurious look, but its popularity took a turn after World War II. Art Deco is seen as a powerful alluring style because of its roots. Its distinction stems from people’s optimistic spirit post-World War I when people wanted to combine modernism with industry and progress. Art Deco is all about balance, and symmetry to say the least helps bring an aura of visual harmony. Along with this, geometric shapes such as zigzags, chevrons, sunbursts, and triangles bring on an elegant feel paired with sophistication. Another defining distinction is the specific use of materials such as glass, shiny metals, steel, and acrylic. Two famous buildings that consist of an exterior Art Deco look are the Chrysler Building, and the Empire State Building. Additionally, another visual that consisted of the Art Deco design was the famous 1933 Chicago World Fair poster. Art Deco is meant to be dramatic and somewhat luxurious, and although its popularity declined during the mid-20th century, it remains a very valuable period in the design world and experiences small resurgences of its art in the modern day.
Lana Del Rey’s outlook
It goes to say that Lana Del Rey experienced speculations about the song ‘Art Deco’ itself being about a little friend of hers, but she turned the news around and claimed the song is just about “a group of teenagers who like to go out every night”. Going back to the history of Art Deco, we discussed Art Deco’s whole vision is to reach for a sleek and luxurious aesthetic essentially trying to mock the modern world from what it really is. This goes to say that is exactly what Lana Del Rey tried to display in her melodious anthem ‘Art Deco’. Let’s decrypt some of her song lines:
“Club queen on the downtown scene”
In the very first line of the song, Lana Del Rey introduces the phrase “club queen” metaphorically to describe a character that possesses traits such as confidence and rebellion. Now this might be why the speculations were spread to be about Lana’s friend– I guess we’ll never know…
“You’re so Art Deco out on the floor, Shining like gunmetal, cold and unsure”
In this famous line, she continues to describe the so-called “club queen” and tries to describe her appearance but also her flaws. In the first half, Lana tries to describe this person as stylish and captivating. In the second half, she explains this person is attractive and earns attention from others but as said in the third part, the person is yet insecure and yearns for reassurance.
How to Dress Art Deco
Now that we have broken down the pieces of where Art Deco stems from and Lana’s outlook for the song, let’s talk about how to look the part. Art Deco purely means to look glamorous, and luxurious, and stand out in a crowd just like the design itself. Here’s a simple look:
- Blowout hairstyle– works for all hair lengths;)
- Siren eyes makeup– lots of mascara and kohl eyeliner look
- A monochrome outfit– can enhance your body shape or even be loose fitting
- Wear warm + spicy fragrances– vanilla, jasmine, tobacco notes…
- Be confident while looking hot :)