What is Memphis Design Style?

You may have heard the term ‘Memphis Design’ and had no real idea of what this trend means and where it came from. We’re here to shed some light on this re-emerging design trend and take a look at why it is back in fashion today.

If you love unashamedly brash and bold colours and patterns, you’ll be very happy to hear that the Memphis Style, the design style pioneered by the 1980s Memphis Group, is very much back in vogue. The Memphis Group went on to create furniture, fabrics, patterns, ceramics and other products in a distinctly Postmodern style that blended stylistic traits of 1950s kitsch, Art Deco, and Pop Art. This style still has a place today!

However, at the time of its development in the 80s, much critical reaction came about because of the daring designs produced by the Memphis Group. The group’s use of conventionally ‘bad-taste’ plastic laminate and clashing colours didn’t seem to resonate with the more widely accepted design standards of the time.

However, we can now reflect on the designs created by the Memphis Group and recognise that they were groundbreaking. They marked a complete separation from the dark, overly tasteful and serious design styles of the 1970s.

In fact, Memphis’s fresh approach to design, which was characterised by creativity and humour, came to be a lasting stylistic hallmark of the 1980s.

Even though the Memphis Group disbanded in 1987, their iconic style lived on and today, we are seeing its revival!

So, what sets Memphis Design apart as a trend?

The Memphis Design style is a retro aesthetic that opposes brutalism and post-war architecture, interiors, and product design. In this manner, the Memphis Design style lends the streamlined geometry of art deco design and the electric colours of day-to-day objects. Memphis is often described as kitschy and tacky because it is characterized by bright colours, geometric shapes, strong patterns, stripes, clashing hues, abstract designs, and plastics.

As the Memphis Style is a mish-mash of various design styles that were popular during the 1980s, it can look a little confused at best, and downright bonkers at worst! It’s a real Marmite design style—individuals tend to either completely love it or loathe it.

Whether you think the outlandish designs of the Memphis Style are awesome or simply bad taste, you can’t deny the influence of the Memphis Group on graphic design and interior design today.

A re-birth

Memphis design began to reemerge in 2005 in Los Angeles. LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum Of Art) exhibited a survey of Sottsass’ designs a year before he passed away.

Right after Sottsass’ death, interest in what is Memphis Design style began to grow. It influenced high fashion houses like Missoni, Karl Lagerfeld, and Christian Dior, and the latter’s 2011 collection helped kick-start the movement.

Today we see the influence in fashion, marketing and interior design. Almost 40 years since its influential debut, this design movement is back in vogue with its “Less is Bore” vibes.

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