Long before the world had met Paris Hilton or Nicole Richie. In fact, way before stylists like Rachel Zoe had stepped on to the fashion scene, there was Nancy Cunard, style-setter, über socialite and original bad-girl heiress.
Perez Hilton fodder of the 1920’s, details of her infamous parties and famous paramours were never far from the headlines – and her love for the latest fashion never short on coverage in the social pages.
But unlike her 21st century counterparts, Nancy’s forward-thinking and trend-setting ways also attracted attention from some of the era’s most promising artists. She hadn’t been living in Paris long before becoming muse to Man Ray and Ernest Hemingway.
A Jazz Age radical, Nancy created her own eclectic style hallmark, stacking dozens of African bracelets from wrist to elbow with the same passion Dadaists were showing for African sculpture. For Cunard, fashion meant expression and during a colonial age when African culture was seen as little more than primitive, her personal style was a canvas for communicating rebellious and thought-provoking ideas.
So before you get your hands on next spring and summer’s riffs on African patterns and Ikat prints from the likes of Oscar de la Renta and Osman Yousefada, why not make like Nancy with fall’s art deco offerings? Slip on opulent 1920s inspired bangles and sleek cuffs in wood, lacquer or precious metal, then pair with autumn’s bracelet-sleeved jackets for a fresh and rebellious slant on deco refinement.
Bracelets from top to bottom:
Mark Davis, Barneys.com; Stella McCartney, Net-a-porter.com; Vivre Ebony Collection, Vivre.com; Camilla Sarp, Vivre.com.
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