The Deco Diaries
Chronicling the inspiration and creativity of the Art Deco era

Diary Articles
Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto at the V&A
The sold-out 'Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto' at the V&A takes visitors on an immersive journey through the evolution of Coco Chanel's work. Through captivating displays...
A Deco Christmas: Contrasting 1920s Christmas with Today
In the early 20th century, Christmas held a simpler charm. The holiday season was marked by a more modest approach, with Christmas trees and handmade...
Japanese Influence on Art Deco: An Elegant Fusion
Drawing inspiration from my summer travels in Japan, this month's Deco Diaries delve into how Japan's cultural richness indelibly shaped the late 19th and early...
Dörte Clara Wolff: Art Deco Artist and Illustrator
Dörte Clara Wolff (1907-1996) known as Dodo, was a German-born artist, illustrator, and costume designer, who studied at the prestigious Berlin Academy of Art. Dörte...
The Cabaret - Musical
Cabaret is based on the autobiographical novel ‘Goodbye to Berlin’ (1939) by Christopher Isherwood, a British-American novelist who lived in Berlin during the 1920s.
Else Schiaparelli – Fashion Designer
Else Schiaparelli – Fashion Designer Elsa Luisa Maria Schiaparelli was a surrealist and avant-garde Italian fashion designer born in Rome in 1890. After moving to...
Cabaret Fledermaus Vienna
Poster for the Cabaret Fledermaus by Bertold Loffler 1907 Cabaret Fledermaus opened in Vienna in 1907, co-founded by a group of artists of the Wiener...
Jeanne Lanvin - Fashion Designer
Jeanne Lanvin was a French fashion designer born in Paris in 1867. She trained as a milliner and opened her first shop in 1889. Dressmaking was also a...
Leonora Carrington - Surrealist Artist
Leonora Carrington was a British-Mexican artist and one of the last surviving participants of the surrealist movement of the 1930s. Carrington had an interest in...