Night and Day: 1930's Fashion and Photographs Exhibition

The ‘Night and Day: 1930s Fashion and Photographs’ exhibition at the Fashion and Textiles Museum in Bermondsey is running currently from the 12th of October until 20th January 2019, exploring the day and evening styles of the Art Deco period accompanied by photographs of the stars who championed them.

The Art Deco period began post World War I, and the start of World War II saw its conclusion. It was a period of change and the jewellery reflected the mood of the people and the fashion of the time. Geometry and symmetrical designs were the signature of the Art Deco period, bold and contrasting colours enhanced the jewellery. Yet, the form was still adaptable enough to incorporate Egyptian, African and Oriental symbols into its functional lines.

Black and white infused with dramatic colour was the sign of the times. That meant that gemstones like rock crystal and black onyx were set against coloured stones to create striking pieces. Motifs included colourful fruit or flowers, the Egyptian scarab, Japanese pagodas with strong red corals set in contrast with onyx and diamonds. Platinum was the metal of choice.

The early Deco period of 1909-1925, aptly called Art Deco, was delicate and feminine, with stylised floral designs that borrowed the chic of Art Nouveau's free flowing curves and naturalistic forms; but made them more precise and emphasised the starkly floral shapes. The later Deco period of 1925 to World War II was called “Art Moderne”, or Modernism. This replaced soft and natural lines, pastel colours and florals with bright colours and contrasting colour combinations. It used the Edwardian's Garland design as its inspiration and made it geometric, symmetrical and Cubist.

The plunging necklines in fashion called for long pendants. Ladies had short hair which exposed the ears, creating a need for drop earrings. Short sleeves or entirely sleeveless dresses meant bracelets and bangles were worn. Jabot pins came into fashion, and the double clip brooch worn together or separately became very popular. The importance of the cocktail party created a need for sophisticated cocktail rings.

If you have an event coming up and you are looking for a unique piece to set off your outfit we have a huge range of Art Deco pieces in our collection. Visit Berganza instore or online to view our collection of ancient, antique and vintage items. With one of the largest collections of period jewellery in the world, we have styles and pieces suitable for every occasion.