Neo Art Deco

Towards the end of last year, we predicted the return of Art Deco. With it being the centenary of its first wave, it only made sense. Spoiler alert… it’s happening. And much like the original, it’s not confined to one discipline - it’s everywhere. From interiors to fashion, architecture to beauty, this revival is spreading across design. But what’s most interesting is that it isn’t really a revival at all. It’s something new. Hence, Neo Art Deco.

This new wave borrows the elegance, geometry and material richness of the era, but views it through a very different lens. This time we are sans post-war boom era and instead in one shaped by economic uncertainty, sustainability consciousness.  This is the tension that lies within the heart of this movement. It’s old, but new. Familiar, but reborn for its time.

Emotionally, Neo Art Deco feels similar to what we are seeing happen within branding and UX. A direct move away from the flat, minimal and monochrome and towards texture, depth and warmth. Think Burberry returning to its earlier logo, or Microsoft’s first major icon refresh in seven years - both signs of an appetite for detail and distinction after a decade of stripped-back simplicity… sorry Jaguar.

Fashion has followed too. Earlier this year, Fendi celebrated its centenary with a collection inspired by the lavish parties of the Roaring Twenties. And as we all know (thank you Devil Wears Prada), fashion often trickles down. Premium high-street fashion brand Arrange, ASOS’s hottest new brand, has a number of Art Deco-inspired pieces in the latest collection. This time, not inspired by the fashion from this period, but instead the geometry and shapes found within the built environment during the Art Deco period. 

So, will Neo Art Deco last? Maybe not as a fixed “trend,” but as a mood - definitely. In the “never-ending pursuit of newness bubbles” (hopefully to pop soon), it's key that these trends are applied when they make sense for a brand. When it fits naturally, it doesn’t feel like trend-chasing or overproduction; it feels like evolution.

This is the thinking we brought to our work with Bio Sculpture. A brand with decades of history in healthy nail care, making its move into retail for the first time. The alignment was uncanny - a heritage brand finding new relevance, and a heritage design style reimagined for now. Both rooted in craft and care, both balancing timelessness with modern restraint.

This parallel became the foundation of our design strategy: to create a space that feels timeless yet current, a physical expression of heritage meeting innovation. A little slice of serenity in the heart of Selfridges - polished, poised and perfectly Bio Sculpture.