Bluffing at the bar

You've blagged a ticket to the opening exhibition of the most coolest new designer of anybodys lifetime. You're hanging nervously around the buffet bar, regretting your Marks & Spencers slacks, when over comes what could easily be the love of your life; slinkily confident. Do, do think before you answer.

To help you we offer a selection of the, "I'll just get my coat" gaffes to avoid:

Q: Robin Day? A: I never really liked his glasses

Q: Kitsch? A: I prefer pizza to be honest

Q: Rationalism? A: I think the BNP should be banned. Definitely.

Q: Danish modern? A: I don't think I'll have a dessert thanks

Q: Swedish modern? A: Do you need a special card for the satellite box?

Q: Philippe Starck? A: I think he was on Monica Lewinskys side from the off. Poor old Bill.

Q: Frank Lloyd Wright? A: I agree. After all, where would Airtours be without him and his brother?

Q: Carlo Bugatti? A: The Michael Schumacher of his day eh?

Q: Eileen Gray? A: It's a shame Dexys Midnight Runners never really bettered that first album

Q: Bauhaus? A: My older brother had a couple of their albums, to be honest I think the second one might still be playing, he didn't put it on until late '79

Q: Salvador Dali? A: I never really have time to read The Watchtower properly

Q: Mies van der Rohe? A: I always thought Cruyff was the better player

So, to make the right impression, you need our Lifestyle Lexicon:
Simply conjoin any selection of the following with some popular adverbs and adjectives, conclude with a quirky and preferably slightly confusing personal signature expression. Respect, true love and a place on the next guest list will surely be yours:
Bohemian, fluffy, contemporary, edgy, Bauhaus, cutting edge, organic, modernist, post modern, industrial, urban, kitsch, symbolism, pre-Raphaelite, impressionist, post impression, roccoco, retro, truth, neo modernism, Rationalism, Arts & Crafts, Art deco, anti-modernism, neoclassicism, minimalist, interpretation, high-tech, Contemporary, Celtic, classicism, Biedermeier, art nouveau, functionalism, neo functionalism, ephemeral, Baroque, Byronesque, pastel, fey imagery, triumph, school, bold, Gothic, Purism, OpArt, Novecento, Swedish Modern, truth to form, light touch, sympathetic, empathetic, surreal, post- industrial, subtle, ogee, cutting edge, form, stark, cleverly reworked, aesthetic, identity, cultural vacuum, energetic, expression, exuberant, visual, dramatic, playful, artefact, sharp, language of iconography, utility, lightness, blurring of boundaries, enthusiastically modern, signature design, utilitarianism, crisp, conservative modernism, Pop Art.

For example: "For me it's an edgy, exuberant expression of playful utilitarianism, cleverly reworked in bold pastels to offer a kitsch interpretation of the early Pre-Raphaelite school. It's as if she's taken every expression of fey imagery available and, with the lightest of touches, worked it with a crisp functionalism to deliver an organic form far beyond contemporary to the outer edge of cutting edge. Simply mint!"
Your slinky new friend is as good as yours - you have our permission to go and buy a bottle of wine right now!
the sourcerers

Bluffing at the Bar, the three minute design bluff & design dictionary from Sawitfirst; Robin Day, Rationalism, Danish modern,Swedish modern,Philippe Starck, Frank Lloyd Wright, Carlo Bugatti, Eileen Gray, Bauhaus, Salvador Dali, Mies van der Rohe, design bluffing, design lexicon