A bit of flare, and a splash of colour... will any decade compare to the 70s and 80s?

The influences of art deco had become extinct during the Great Depression, and with fashion’s new found romance with ‘the new look’ the returning silhouette was here to stay. The sixties spilled over into the seventies through both youths finding new ways to express themselves as individuals, and through the rise of feminist art. The Guerilla Girls of the eighties brought to light the lack of women artists in museums through posters, exhibitions, and campaigns. Their most well-known campaign is their ‘Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum’ poster, following on to read ‘less than 5% of the artists in the Modern Art Sections are women, but 85% of the nudes are female’. The feminist movement of the seventies, which was sparked in the 1960s, meant women felt more liberated to partake in the arts industry – resulting in a surge of feminist art, and youths expressing themselves through fashion.

The fashion of the seventies shares similarities with a child’s completed colouring book… gaudy patterns galore, teamed with bright colours, platform shoes, and very tight fitting trousers. The fashion of the seventies has been described as “culminating some of the best elements of the sixties, and exaggerating them” [1]. The number of fashion icons rocketed from Cher’s love of OTT outfits and showing skin, to Joni Mitchell carefree feminist vibes. Feminist art works other than the Guerilla Girl’s protests included pieces such as ‘Homeworker’ and ‘Little Woman at Home’ both by Margaret Harrison (the ‘little’ woman at ‘home’ I might as is depicted as a superhero, conquering a Brillo box, something associated with 60s Andy Warhol), ‘Useless’ by Tracy Moffart, and ‘Untitled’ by Linder (a nude woman collaged with a blender for a face, placed in a frying pan) [2].

The feminist art movement of the seventies crossed the decade into the eighties firmly holding the hand of feminists themselves. The end of the seventies introduced a ‘fitness craze’; tight and bright lycra pants teamed with even tighter clashing bodysuits were seen everywhere, and this craze continued into the eighties. Brands had started to become fashionable, including Nike, Reebok, and even Coca Cola. Youth cultural flourished as if it was the 50s all over again; children rebelled against their parent’s neutral colour palettes with neon colours and an overload of accessories (and hairspray!). In contrast to this, the more mature fashionista (such as Chanel's clientele) opted to promote feminism in a way of which we can still respect, but it is less fun. The power suit dominated women's fashion throughout the eighties; practical material and neutral colours on a blazer and trouser two piece was the 'must have' for any woman in the workplace, the suit sharing similarities with the typical man's suit.

The feminist art of the eighties “still awaits a large-scale museum survey” [3] anticipates Holland Cotter writing for The New York Times, however if the fashion of the eighties is anything to judge how expressive the art will be it will be worth the wait.

[1]: https://www.retrowaste.com/1970s/fashion-in-the-1970s/

[2]: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/f/feminist-art

[3]: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/09/arts/design/09wack.html