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Our Current Craving? The Easy Elegance of Art Deco Design

It's high time for some laid-back glamour.

December 9, 2022

We’re feeling a sexy, silky, velvety moment coming on, one that has us ready to dress up and head out into the night. But instead of leaving comfort behind, we’re bringing it along for an elegant ride. Get ready to ease into a new kind of glamour.

Guinevere Silk Cami Gown by The Row, $4,450, bergdorfgoodman.com. Brass, silver and resin bangles by Dinosaur Designs, $85 to $310, dinosaurdesigns.com. Handmade Jean-Michel Frank–style chair by Jonas (jonasworkroom.com) in Broken Chevron Cut Velvet by Miles Redd for Schumacher; Japanese Cranes wallpaper panels by Iksel Decorative Arts, fschumacher.com.

MELANIE ACEVEDO

WEAR

The current moment is tailor-made for dresses, coats and made-to-match sets that do all the work for you, providing plenty of style without getting too complicated: Think easy perfection that comes from a combination of strong silhouettes, sensuous materials and a powerful lineup of patterns. Just pull on one of these statement-making looks and walk out the door.

  • Cady Crêpe Wool-Silk Dress with Optical Motif by Gucci, $7,000, gucci.com

  • Pearl Mink Belted Coat by Victor Glemaud, $12,500, pologeorgis.com

  • Long-Sleeved Sequined Tulle Shirt, $63,000, and Sequined Tulle Midi Skirt, $49,000; both by Gucci, gucci.com

  • Dress by Anthony Vaccarello for Saint Laurent, $7,000, ysl.com

  • Sequin, Denim, Leather and Sherpa Coat by Dries Van Noten, $2,085, us.driesvannoten.com

  • Herringbone Overcoat by Stella McCartney, $4,900, stellamccartney.com

  • Leather Intarsia Top, $9,000, and Leather Intarsia Pencil Midi Skirt, $7,800; both by Gucci, gucci.com

  • Stella by Stella 3D Stripes Set, $2,490, stellamccartney.com

  • Diagonal Wool Scarf Coat by Alaïa, $6,060, maison-alaia.com

DECORATE

Ready to sink into something more sumptuous? Lean into lush velvets, lustrous silks and shimmery beaded trims in hues that are just a bit muted—think goes-with-everything gold that veers toward brown, creamy ivory that’s less stark than white, dramatic notes of black—and offer all the sizzle of 1920s Paris. Josephine Baker would approve.

Top from left: Fondale in Gold; Bixi Velvet in Silver; Les Gazelles Au Bois in Noir

Middle from left: Gatsby Tape in Shimmer; Zella Appliquéd Tape in Black & White; Senza Satin Stripe in Pearl; Jessie Cut Velvet in Camel by Victor Glemaud

Bottom from left: Kinabalu Velvet in Gold; Shock Wave in Sand & Sable; Otto Velvet in Parchment by David Oliver; Elvetico in Brown.

All by Schumacher, fschumacher.com. Art Deco Odyv vase by Modern Deco Finds, $565, and Art Deco decanter set by Elle W Collection, $900, from the Gallery at 200 Lex, incollect.com.

 

STYLED BY OLGA NAIMAN. PHOTOGRAPHED BY KEVIN KERR.

FURNISH

The home accents we’re feeling right now? Contemporary pieces that put an updated spin on the streamlined geometry of Art Deco. The forms are still stylized, the angles still abundant, and the metals are still mixed, but with a new sense of warmth that feels just right for today. They’re the bridge between traditional and modern that elevates every room.

SET THE TABLE

Floral china is always a pretty touch, but sometimes you need a sleek and streamlined reprieve. Find it in these Deco-inspired tabletop pieces: Balancing powerful geometry with fanciful lines and marrying highly stylized shapes with organic strokes, they capture the tension between hard and soft that made Jazz Age design so deliciously dramatic.
Styled by Olga Naiman.

  • Initiales Parallèles canapé plate, $155, Initiales Rayon dessert plate, $175, both by Puiforcat, puiforcat.com. Hoffman Bronzit Serie B wine glass by Lobmeyr, $298, stillfried.com. Nicolette wallpaper, fschumacher.com.

    Kevin Kerr

  • Zytia dinner plate by Alberto Pinto, $115, store.pinto.com. Deauville salad fork ($690) and table knife ($785) by Puiforcat, puiforcat.com. Linfea wallpaper by Charlap Hyman & Herrero, fschumacher.com.

    Kevin Kerr

  • Art Deco Garden Bread Plate by André Fu Living, $73, andrefuliving.com. Moiré wallcovering, fschumacher.com.

  • Zephyr 1 Dinner Plate, from $119, and Salad/Dessert Plate, from $108, both by Marie Daâge, kneenandco.com. Bandoles creamer by Armani/Casa, $1,065, 212-334- 1271. Ananas wallpaper, fschumacher.com

    Kevin Kerr


THIS STORY ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN THE FALL 2022 ISSUE OF FREDERIC. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE