The Vanity Fair Oscar party, designed by Basil Walter and Will Cooper, symbolizes a blend of past cultural influences and present sentiments. The event's theme explores optimism amid societal pressures, inspired by the 1970s era of hedonism, reflecting on how art can provide respite from current global tensions. With a slew of celebrities attending, the design captures the essence of escapism through motifs from iconic nightclubs. Cooper poses the question of whether we are entering a new 'Age of Aquarius,' emphasizing the need for joy and celebration in today's world.
“As a beginning, I thought about what was happening culturally,” Cooper, who returned for his second year designing the event, tells AD. “I posed a question to everyone, which was, 'Is this the dawning of the age of Aquarius?'”
“We were coming out of a depressive moment with the Vietnam War,” Cooper says, and people were tapping into ‘the hedonism of existence, of being human beings again.’”
“Perhaps we aren't quite out of our current slump—‘there is an inherent 'what the hell is happening in the world' kind of depression [happening now],’ Walter says—but couldn't we fast forward to the good part, if only for a night?”
“On the mood board: Biba, Studio 54, and Soul Train.”
Collection
[
|
...
]