From sushi cakes and social media to 3D lips on (Insta) walls and vanity corners, to kitschy lines and surreal glam. The ‘aesthetic of excess’ is all over in gold-tone detailing and loud shout-outs in your wardrobes, décor, food and more. Maximalism is in.
Admittedly, it’s been a few difficult years, and it makes sense to have a little overt fun. Cheerful maximalism is filling our lives through eye-popping colours and ritzy inclusions—anything that brings in a sense of ‘busy joy’ through vibrance and flamboyance is worthy of a toast.
LOOK AT ME!
This year’s Met Gala, the ultimate theme party, rolled out the gold sheen in the theme ‘Gilded Glamour’, drawing inspiration from New York’s Gilded Age, when opulence and grandiosity ruled with a precious pout. Indian entrepreneur Natasha Poonawalla dazzled in a liquid gold Sabyasachi sari coupled with an Aztec Schiaparelli bustier, and bijou talons. It has been a dazzling splurge over the past few months, with ostrich feathers, leather trims, velvet tones, Maldivian holidays, cabanas and more filling the picture galleries all over.
Forget just celebrities. Everyone is having a toddler-esque design moment too, as animal prints mate wildly with botanicals and bold colours in their homes and beyond. Russian Instagrammer Alina took the maximalism brief a bit further by posing naked beneath a sacred tree in Bali, inviting local ire and a possible jail sentence. Instagram is swamped with images of all that is pretty and bouncing, a world where everything is perfect, glossy and gleaming. Clearly, the bold and the brash are all over and rocking. The motto is “Live it up…”.
We lost connection with the sense of touch during the past few years and the element of tactility in our spaces now soothes us. It is less about what we fill our homes with, and more about how our homes make us feel. It is as if you want your home to leap up and give you an effusive hug of welcome when you walk in. Crayola colours and over-the-top artworks are in. Says Ayesha Puri of Sanjay Puri Architects, “It is all about making a statement.
With everyone heavily exposed to design through social media, it is important to be able to stand out and appeal to people by using different colours, textures and objects to be able to make a statement.” Puri has been collaborating with artists, graphic designers and fabricators to create interesting wall panels, bold art pieces and customised sculptures to exude a maximalist approach.
Shilpi Madan for Sunday Standard