"The '90s were, as the title of Carter's memoir says, When the Going Was Good. Expense accounts funded editors' lavish lifestyles, and New York stores and restaurants were see-and-be-seen spots. Tech was fairly simple, and "social media" meant passing a newspaper to a friend. Inside people's private spaces, design was having its own kind of renaissance. A stroll through our '90s print issues sieves out"
"The '90s spawned a slew of undead art, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997), Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), and Interview with a Vampire (1994). Vamp makeup-kohl-rimmed eyes and plum lips-raged, goth subculture surged, and fashion designers sent cobwebby lace dresses down the runway. Above, Anna Sui's home (AD, October 1994) exemplifies the vamp aesthetic of the decade: blood-red lacquered floors, black leather, and an uncanny Diana Vreeland mannequin."
"Shades of flamingo, magenta, and oyster pink popped in '90s homes. Even the punks of the era were wearing pink: Courtney Love and Kathleen Hanna all used it in their iconography, giving the color a subversive streak. In our archives, it's clear that Barbra Streisand (AD, December 1993) was a fan-her Beverly Hills home was an ode to a powdered variety of the color."
Expense accounts fueled lavish lifestyles and made New York shops and restaurants prominent social hubs while technology remained simple and "social media" often meant passing a newspaper. Residential design experienced a revival characterized by floral printed sofas, wall-to-wall carpet, oyster-pink hues, and heavy gilding. Gothic and vamp aesthetics gained traction across fashion, film, and interiors, with blood-red floors, black leather, kohl makeup, and candelabra lighting signaling the trend. Bright pinks—flamingo, magenta, and powdered varieties—appeared widely, adopted even within punk iconography. Celebrity homes frequently exemplified and amplified these ornate, nostalgic tendencies throughout the decade.
Read at Architectural Digest
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]