Trend Watch: Postmodern Revival
Above image: Objects Oversize Tee Dress by Dusen Dusen.
Unlike trends in fashion, which seem to change as unpredictably as the weather, the aesthetic shifts in home design are a bit longer lasting (a good thing, because who wants to re-buy a sofa every season?!). There are, of course, overlaps and changes according to the general zeitgeist, parallels that become evident with larger shifts in social perspectives. Over the past several years (possibly even the last decade), a certain type of simplicity has reigned supreme, its various iterations informed by an emboldened environmentalist movement, a recession-driven return to handicraft, and a slightly techno-phobic nostalgia for “simpler times.” This general movement, while still going strong without a definite end in sight, now appears to have a challenger (or possibly a contrasting complement, depending on your perspective)—the Postmodern Revival. Although this, too, is a trend that looks backwards for inspiration, its roots lie in the not-too-distant past—the aesthetic counter-movement that ruled design from the seventies through the nineties. The original Postmodern movement was largely a reaction against the flawed utopian ideals of Modernism; an aesthetic rejection of the uniform and homogenous and an embrace of the contradictory and irreverent. This current revival seems to subscribe, at least partly, to similar ideals. In many ways, it appears to be a harsh (and utterly refreshing) departure from the quaint, the cozy, and that oh-so-reviled pejorative term—the “twee.” It looks instead to excitement, discomfort and unpredictability, offering many more questions than answers. I can’t personally say that I see myself running out to redecorate my home in full-out Memphis attire, but I will say that I am thrilled to see this fresh face in the design crowd. —Max
