The Russian Academy Of Arts

Tsereteli Art Gallery presents a multimedia project “Art Decor. The Golden 1920s” curated by Alexander Vasiliev, a celebrated fashion historian, costume designer, scenographer. Organized by the “National Fashion Museum” Foundation in association with the Government of Moscow, Culture Department of Moscow and the Russian Academy of Arts, the show features over 200 exhibits.

On display are clothes, various accessories, headgear, purses and shoes from Nazim Mustafaev’s private collection of historical and ethnic footwear. The exposition also includes lithographs and posters, photographs from private collections, films of the 1920s, unique dresses created under the impact of Russian art. The exhibition is devoted to the Russian fashion houses in Paris and their titled owners, who had to leave Russia.  It is the first presentation of the show in such a selection.

Art Decor is a direction in the European decorative art in the first half of the 20th century that reverberated in architecture, fashion and painting. It is a synthesis of modern art and neoclassicism. The distinguished features of the style are strict appropriateness, ethnic geometric motifs, use of expensive materials – ivory, crocodile leather, rare breeds of wood, silver, etc. symbolizing luxury and chic. After the Paris exhibition of decorative art in 1925 images of lotus, scarabs, pictures of Cleopatra and all sorts of Egyptian ornaments came into fashion. Along with the Egyptian style in vogue were Chinese, African and Russian styles.

Paris became a center of Art Decor style, which lasted a little bit over 15 years and  created a turn in the history of fashion. The period from 1919 till 1930 is considered the last grand style in the European vogue, that became a symbol of financial wellbeing, prosperity and refinement. We remember it due to its cult “small black dress”,  perfume “Chanel n5”, fanciful make-up  and excess thinness, passion for accessories and the first attempts of emancipation,  short woman’s haircuts, the cult of air flights and ardor for jazz.

The show has been exhibited in part in Paris, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Santiago, Sydney, Brisbane.       

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