An article in the New York Times dated July 29, 2009 asks why modern design has lost its allure and why antiques of all kinds have never been so popular.
There are many possible responses to this question. “Modern design” first appeared on a large scale in the 30’s with the industrialization of furniture fabrication, the new mass markets, and the development of marketing techniques. Take the chair of the mid 30's. 
At that time it was still possible to purchase an armchair handmade by craftsman who trained for years in the traditional techniques of furniture building as well as an industrial armchair factory made by modern Italian designers such as Giuseppe Terragni or Luigi Vietti. What was lost in this transition was personal - the sense that a piece was unique and that one could have not only a personal relationship with the artist who created it but also be a part of a long cultural tradition.
Designed by Giuseppe Terragni ( 1904-1943)
was a member of "Gruppo 7" , a group of designers who promoted rational design.
On the other hand, modern design was affordable and thus accessible to many more people. In marketing terms "new" was the operative word to sell a product and consequently the ultimate value in its promotion. "Beauty" became a translation of functionality that broke with the past. In order to pull this off, the promoters of modern design needed to convince their public of this "value" and they did it with aplomb. "It's new, it's different and you deserve it!" One of the miracles of modern marketing and mass communication is the ability to not only erase the apparent contradiction but to transform it into an apparent asset. Now you could be original without risking the loss of safety and public approval. Like the hordes of tattooed teenagers, the modern consumer flocked to modern design. Today, eighty years later, maybe people are waking up to the fact that new is not enough.
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