The 20s are roaring again
The 1920s followed a pandemic, an economic boom, and a cultural rebellion against restraint, all fuelled by a new wave of technology, wealth, and self-expression. Sound familiar?
Image credit: Vivian K via Dupe
After the Spanish flu swept the globe and World War I left its mark, people were desperate to feel alive. Cities lit up, jazz poured out of speakeasies, and nightclubs became laboratories of experimentation and freedom. The illegalisation of alcohol, better known as Prohibition, turned a simple indulgence into a sport. Jazz clubs thrived in secret, cocktails were smuggled, and defying the law became an expression of freedom and audacity. Cars, telephones, and cinema reshaped everyday life, collapsing distances, speeding up society, and giving culture a new pulse. Flappers bobbed their hair and raised their hemlines, not just for style, but to make a statement: life is short, and we’re taking it back.
Fast-forward a hundred years, and the rhythm feels familiar. COVID-19 froze our lives; inflation, unstable markets, and global uncertainty have made every decision feel heavy. Yet just like the 1920s, the world is bouncing back with an almost reckless hunger. Bars are crowded again, concerts are back, and the digital world moves with the same restless rhythm that defined the Roaring 20s. Experiences, attention, and aesthetic performance are the currency. We are improvising, remixing, performing, and consuming. And the speed is dizzying.
Cultural rebellion hasn’t disappeared; it has just evolved. The 1920s had speakeasies, avant-garde art, and radical music; today, it’s absurdist fashion, viral trends, and the rituals of online communities. Both eras thrive on spectacle and play, transforming uncertainty into energy. The need to feel alive, to make a mark in a world that can feel uncontrollable is unchanged.
Even our spaces reflect this shift. Where minimalism and muted palettes dominated the last decade, homes now embrace colour, curves, mood lighting, and playful maximalism - a mix of 70s kitsch and early-2000s bravado. The world wants stimulation, pleasure, and surprise. Restraint has lost its appeal; exuberance is back in style.
History rarely repeats perfectly, but it rhymes.
The Roaring 20s were a response to crisis, speed, and excess; today, we’re dancing to a familiar rhythm. Chaos, creativity, and a hunger for more pulse through our streets, feeds, and playlists - even as the world hums with uncertainty. The past century may have separated us from the original flappers by decades, but the impulse is the same: find joy, take risks, and make the world a little brighter while you still can.
After all, if history has taught us anything, it’s that people always find a way to throw a party and perhaps that’s the most enduring lesson of all.
