Design: How did the 80s look and aesthetic come about?

But when it comes to the 80s, maybe things aren't so spontaneous. Each decade had its milestones, often spilling over into the decade ahead or building on the previous one. The 80s were unique in many ways, especially in terms of aesthetics. And in this case, there's a better-designed group of people and timeline.

The 80's shapes, colors, style and fashion are extremely characteristic. Not a few people consider the decade as their favorite in terms of lifestyle, music and design. And in fact, in the case of aesthetics that permeated the XNUMXs, the so-called Memphis Group played a key role.

The Origin of 80s Aesthetics – Memphis Groups

O Memphis Group was founded in 1981 and was the introduced the visual standard that over the decade would become a hallmark of the time.

hector Sottsass, Italian architect, was the main founder of the group. Along with a number of other designers and creators dissatisfied with the functional, minimalist approach of modernism, he developed the language that gave the 80s aesthetic the portrait it has today.

The group was founded in Italy, but had members from around the world. In line with the tradition of Radical Design, a movement from Italy in the 60s that questioned modernist architecture, the group proposed a new visual and design language. Some of the ideas that emerged were:

• Distortion of traditional forms;
• Vivid and strong colors;
• Focus on social irony rather than the practical function of things;

Influences beyond the 80s

The group's first exhibition at the Milan Design Salon in 1981 gained great media appeal due to the new approach. In the end, it ended up spreading through various areas of society, being one of the main components of the look that we are used to calling typical of the 80s.

Peter Shire was another key name in the Memphis Group. One of the American representatives who participated in the 1981 Salon is his Brazil Table. Represented in the image above, the image is the portrait of the group's proposal. In fact, MTV, another landmark of the 80s, was also inaugurated in 1981.

The station's logo, in strong colors and with a graphic design characteristic of the Memphis group, was already indicative of the influence of the new trend. In fact, the The main design magazines and publications of the time echoed the 1981 releases. Throughout the decade the group exerted a profound influence on the visual pattern.

The end of the 80's?

O Memphis group ended in the year 1987. The various pieces of furniture that were launched at the 1981 fair and later were not exactly a sales success. Little functional for domestic life, the group's creations turned out to be more influential as a symbol of visual culture and life than as household items.

Even after it ended in 1987, the design and shapes that marked the '80s aesthetic continued to eventually emerge. A good example is the 1995 Apple Watch, which was given away to buyers of the MAC system and is totally influenced by the 1980s look. Fashion shows and furniture with contemporary design often also take up the Ettore Sottsass movement.

Few decades have had a group of people and an aesthetic as well defined as the 80's. Did you know the Memphis Group? would buy one Brazil Table for you? It wasn't just voluminous hairstyles and hard rock that made life in the '80s. The visual backdrop and shapes of all those years came from a well-defined design proposal. And even after the transition from the '80' to the '90', these ideals still inspire creators around the world.