Editors Note: The Barbara Baer Capitman archives “Historic Threads” project is partly sponsored by the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources and the State of Florida.
Art Deco’s resurgence was a major influence on Miami Beach fashion in the 1980s. Small businesses flourished on Lincoln Road, and designers set up shop while captivated tourists, models, nightclubbers, and young professionals took to the city’s attractive architecture and flair.
Artistic fever sparked an entrepreneurial spirit, and stores opened all over the mall: Utopian Rags, featuring vintage clothing; quirky jewelry and accessories from Diamonds and Chicken Soup; and artifacts from bygone eras at Decolectable. Outfits and accessories were the closest thing to taking a little piece of Miami Beach home. Deep-cut T-shirts under pastel suits paired with trendy sunglasses could be straight out of an episode of “Miami Vice,” which could be credited for many fashion trends at the time.
Miami Beach attracted many artists, designers, and fashion brands, including Andy Warhol, Gianni Versace, Christian Dior, and others, in what was to become the city’s personal couture revolution.
Local politicians and business representatives, such as Mayor Alex Daoud, City Manager Rob Parkins, and Eden Roc Hotel owner Tibor Hollo even participated as models on the Dior runway while Barbara Baer Capitman gave lectures on Art Deco jewelry influenced by the spirit of the Moderne woman of the 1920s and 1930s.
Ultimately, the spirit of Art Deco breathed new life into Miami Beach, transforming it into a beacon of style and cultural significance that continues to influence fashion and trends to this day.
