Art Deco wasn’t invented at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris, but it was announced to the world there.
History was made in 1925 with the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes–the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative Arts and Industrial Style–in Paris. Art Deco wasn’t invented at the show, but it was announced there. Presented to the world as a cohesive aesthetic, design principle, and art form.
Emerging from the absolute wreckage of World War I, European consumers wanted something new. Fresh. A break from their terrible past. Luxury and modern living. Designers committed to leaving the ornate, opulent traditions of the 19th century behind. Bold geometric shapes and sleek lines emerged.
Automobiles, air travel, and ocean liners gained prominence. After unimaginably hard times, consumers prioritized good times. Cocktails. Cigarettes. Speakeasies. Jazz. Gatsby.
Art Deco took over fashion, architecture, decorative arts, transportation, jewelry, consumer goods of every kind, and advertising. An all-encompassing movement.
It wouldn’t last, and yet, it would.
Image credit: Installation view of “Art Deco: The Golden Age of Illustration” at Sarasota Art Museum, Sarasota, Florida, 2025.