“Masked parties, savage parties, Victorian parties, Greek parties, Russian parties, circus parties, parties where one had to dress as somebody else, almost naked parties in St. John’s Wood, parties in flats and studios and houses and ships and hotels and nightclubs, in windmills and swimming baths ..." -Evelyn Waugh
The "Bright Young People" were an elite and flamboyant circle of twenty-somethings in the late 1920's and early 30's London. Glamorous, campy, and gin-soaked at best, they ran the English roads, with hopes of bringing a bit of senseless fun back into their depressing post-war world one costume party at a time. Cecil Beaton and Waugh aside, they were not an overly influential bunch. But these tabloid runners were simply determined to enjoy themselves, and to do it in decadence.
Photo by Wendy Bevan from Italian Marie Claire, November 2009
As new years promise new opportunities, these opportunities beget nothing but brilliance, creativity, and spontaneity. Taking cue from this other generation unbalanced by economic catastrophe, I propose that we live a little more lightly; frivolous not in our intentions, but in our dispositions. I propose that we hold more frequent and impromptu celebrations, because every day deserves to be rewarded. And I propose that our adventures be constant and unending.
"The Bright Young Thing" is a vanilla cupcake crowned by a swiss meringue buttercream frosting. Pouffed by divine pane degli angeli leveners, it is light and airy, whipped and sweet, and simply mahvelous.
Photo by Wendy Bevan from Italian Marie Claire, November 2009
A member of the Bright Young circle said in the 1939 play “After the Dance”: “Whatever people may have said about us when we were young, they could have never said we were bores.” Let the festivities commence.
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