In this assignment, our professor assigned us to study a particular design style and come up with proper utility to design a. place setting that radiates that era. We also got assigned to properly display our designing process using mind maps, mood boards, and sketches. In this particular project, I intended to focus on the style “Old Hollywood Glamour” and design a place setting that radiates its energy.
Hollywood Tragedy
Why did I choose this style?
I have always been amazed by the concept of “Hollywood.” I was so hypnotized by the thought that there is a place on earth where you can achieve all the money and fame you desire. It was the perfect lifestyle that I have always wanted to have one day with all that wealth and glamour. I can remember myself dreaming about stepping out of my limousine, blinded by the light of flashing cameras brighter than the gates of heaven, and walking down the red carpet in my pearls and diamonds. This obsession of mine even got to a point where I used to say that I am planning to become a celebrity whenever someone asked me about my dream job. However, when I further investigated this case, I found out that there is a melancholic side to this heavily glamorized era. I discovered that Hollywood is nothing more than a fantasy that revolves around addictions, violence, and eating disorders. The fact that this heavenly concept actually has a much darker side made me even more curious about uncovering this style along with this project.
Old Hollywood Glamour
Old Hollywood Glamour is a style that reflects the nostalgia of the golden ages of the west coast when all celebrities used to be worshiped as gods and goddesses. In the 1930s and 40s, Hollywood used to be mentioned as the heaven on earth. It gave birth to many female icons and the modern definition of what a celebrity is. This era is also known for its highly feminine energy, which is full of romance and sex icons. Over time, the unrealistic standards that this style used to radiate created a stereotype which challenges the women of that time to keep up with it. This growing pressure pushed the woman to have eating disorders and lots of health issues. Also, the media treating woman celebrities like sex objects made them develop depression, leading them to addiction problems. This legendary era got fabricated and constructed into a style that represents only glamourous parts of 1930s Hollywood. We must analyze this style in two categories, fashion, and interior design.
Fashion
As a fashion style, Old Hollywood Glamour consists of romantic silhouettes and high feminine energy. It’s all about luxury prints and fabrics recreating the glamour of old Hollywood. Decorating the outfits using expensive jewels, pearls and diamonds also is a very common thing to see in this particular fashion style. Fabrics like silk and fur are also some of the stables for this style. Other than the clothing, this fashion sense also contains signature hairstyles and make-up looks. Finger waves and a bright red lipstick really hold the power to pull the look together.
1.Luxurious Fabrics (Silk/ Velvet)
Silk Robes
Silk Underwear
Silk Garments
Velvet Gowns
2. Feminine Prints
Floral Prints
Geometric Prints
3. Backless Gowns
4. Fur Coats
5. Perl Accessories
Perl Necklaces
Perl Drop Earrings
6. Porcelain Skin
7. Cat Eyeliner
8. Finger Waves
9. Eyelashes
10. Cigarette
Interior Design
Hollywood glam interiors are made up of a mix of art deco, and mid-century modern High contrast color combinations were the popular choice for color schemes. Popular combinations are not only hot pink and green, but also black and white. In addition, over-the-top chandeliers paired with high gloss or mirrored furniture are also a common combination. The contrast gives off a certain high-glamour luxurious vibe. This design style is sexy and sophisticated at the same time.
1.Quiet Foundation
2. Rich Fabrics (Velvet, Silk)
3. Art Deco and Mid Century Modern
4. Metallics
5. High-shine Lacquered Finishes
6. Marble
7. Silver
8. Crystal
9. Romance
10. Color Palette (Pink, Red, Black, Gray, Navy Blue, Turquoise)
The Place Setting
In this portion of this assignment, I used the ceramics in my household and repurposed them with the decorations I bought from a dollar store. While creating this place setting, I wanted to reflect on all the aspects of the chosen style without stepping out of the requirements of this assignment. Most importantly, I decided not to recreate the authentic dishes in the given period. Rather than that, I intended to portray this style as to how I imagine that era today. Also, I noticed that the media is only familiar with the attractiveness of the Hollywood Glamour era, and they are unaware of all the dark secrets of it. In this place setting, I exposed all of it…
The Final Form:
The Plate
For the plate that will perfectly represent the “Old Hollywood Glam” style, I got majorly inspired by woman’s taste in jewelry in the 1930s. I stole a plate from my family kitchen and decorated it using the pearls I bought from the dollar store. I placed them all around the plate with the intention of forming a circle around it. For this procedure, I used hot glue to attach them securely. After that, I gave it a whole characteristic by sprinkling powdered sugar onto the plate and shaped white lines using a plastic card. One of the darkest facts about Hollywood in the 1930s is that there was a high percentage of drug usage among all A-level celebrities. Sadly, it even led to overdosing and the passing of a very talented bunch. So, by displaying powdered sugar on the plate, I visualized this issue and brought awareness to it.
The Mood Board:
The Sketch:
The Final Form:
The Bowl
For the bowl, I again used the pearls I bought from the dollar store. This time, I took the comment of Marilyn Monroe and decided to integrate diamonds with my design. Firstly, I formed a circle around the ages of the bowl as a signature design element of my place setting. After that, I used the fake diamonds I bought from the dollar store to create a symbol on the front of the dish. I got two different-sized diamonds, so I placed the big one at the center and elevated it by attaching two minor ones at both ends. It is no secret that cigarettes also was a famous icon of the era. I realized at those times people used to have a crystal bowl to offer their guests cigarettes. I intended to combine these two concepts in my place setting by placing imitation cigarettes, that I made in, the bowl.
The Mood Board:
The Sketch:
The Final Form:
The Silverware
For silverware, I choose to focus on the regular-sized knife, spoon, and fork. I strongly think that pearls are stable for a particular era and style. While choosing to go in this direction, I inspired by the famous pearl necklaces and the earrings of the era. In this portion of the assignment, I simply decorated the utilities with pearls in order to match the whole aesthetic. This way I maintained to keep up the feminine energy all around the project.
The Mood Board:
The Sketch:
The Final Form:
The Mirror
I decided to include an additional utility to the collection which is a little hand mirror. I imagined the glamorous actresses checking their lipsticks after taking a bite of their food or checking if they have a nosebleed after snorting their drugs. In this assignment, I used the vintage mirror that passed on to my grandmother by her mother. With its sexy yet elegant appearance, it fitted perfectly with other silver utilities. I decided to place it next to the fork just to keep it compact and achievable in the place setting. I got inspired by the signature vanities that women used to have back in the day. I think that they were a significant aspect of interior design in the 1930s.
The Mood Board:
The Sketch:
The Final Form:
The Champagne Glass
In this product, I again used pearls to give the glass a romantic look that radiates sexuality and wealth at the same time. Here I used a combination of two types of pearls. Firstly, I formed a circle around the edge of the glass using the. circular-shaped pearls as I did with the other ones with the intention of keeping up with the style. After creating two rows, I went to using the droplet-shaped ones to give the glass a vision of dripping or leaking water. For the glass, I narrowed it from our kitchen. When I finalized it, I poured water into the glass and colored the liquid with food coloring.
The Mood Board:
The Sketch:
The Final Form:
