ART DECO CHIC AT THE MOV

image credit: Hereelsewhere.com

On now at the Museum of Vancouver: Art Deco Chic

Art Deco as a movement originated in Paris in the 1920s, and sustained public interest all the way through the 1930s and the second World War. Its origins are attributed to a rather eclectic group of sources from archaeology to the modern machine. A strong geometric presence, symmetry, and direct lines were aesthetic manifestations of elegance, glamour, and modernity. Art Deco symbolized a new hope in the project of modernity, though an aesthetic it remained notably apolitical: true to its name, the movement existed purely as decoration.

With a keen attention to detail, curators Claus Jahnke and Ivan Sayers have put together an exhibition exploring the role of Art Deco in Vancouver, fitting troupes of vintage mannequins with art deco items steeped in local history. High-fashion fans will be enthralled by pieces by Lanvin, Vionnet, Patou, Schiaparelli, and Chanel, while sartorial-equivalent locavores will delight in one-of-a-kind items such as a black beaded dress worn to the opening of the Commodore Ballroom in 1929, or a sweet polka-dot navy number handcrafted by the Aurora Dress Company of Vancouver in (approximately) 1927.

Be sure to hurry in -- the show closes on September 23rd.