Inspiration/Expiration

What inspires you? How much time does it take until a new lifestyle trend comes along and you find yourself grasping for whatever the masses have deemed relevant?

Inspiration is different for everyone and in the same way it can be found in the most unlikely of places.

I could use this time to speak about overpriced vintage clothing or the ways in which Off-White has convinced today's youth that he has created an inclusive street style environment while charging them $500 for a t-shirt. I could mention how all your fashion related decisions have already been made for you, but I won't (well at least not today).

Instead, I will be using this time to give you a little glimpse of what goes on inside my mind and how my brain works.

Let's start this off with a quote by the late, great Alexander McQueen.

"I find beauty in the grotesque"

A quote which would go on to change the way I perceived the world for the rest of my life. It blew my mind that one could find beauty in that which was so stereo-typically its opposite. It's a little easier to digest when you take the time to think about how easily trends come and go. What we find interesting and appealing one day would somehow not even cross our minds the next. What we've convinced ourselves to be strange or weird could find its place in our daily lives. Our idea of beauty is constantly evolving.

Of course I'm not saying this is a bad thing. Having a mind which is open to the wonders of the world is good, right?

Before going any further let's ponder on that statement for a bit. Do you ever sit down and consciously think about that which inspires you? Ever go through your day drawing inspiration from your surroundings? If your answer to these or similar questions are "no" or seem even the slightest bit vague then how is it that you are able to change this consistently and so dramatically?

Our story tends to be one of submission and not progression, but that's not your fault.

"People tell us that something is cool. We don't think it's cool. We start seeing this thing more often and eventually well, it's kinda cool I guess. Damn maybe I could make it work"

"This has become too saturated maybe it's not cool anymore"

This happens over and over again and becomes so normal that we fail to recognize we've formed part of a cycle someone else has created. It's what I like to call the Cycle of Inspiration and Expiration (trademarked) (kinda).

The cycle of finding "inspiration" through what you see on the streets or on the internet and watching it completely vanish once the concept has flooded society and people no longer find it interesting. With regards to clothing, if a certain trend is no longer profitable then what is the point of businesses keeping it around? Yeah that's right. If you're not making these decisions for yourself, you'll end up being just a number. A statistic.

Okay so I've provided a glimpse into how someone else has been making all your decisions despite saying I'd save this for another post but can you blame me? It's an emotional rollercoaster.

Now that I've got that out of the way let me re-arrange myself in this chair because here comes the interesting stuff.

Well, to me at least.

I'm inspired, like most people, by what I see on instagram, blogs or youtube videos although sometimes I have the ability to find inspiration in the most unlikely of places.

For example, I find birds fascinating primarily due to their range of feathers, patterns and colours. Their build is especially intricate allowing them to fly which is in itself phenomenal. Some insight into my fascination can be seen in Alexander McQueen's famous Fall 2006 collection titled Widows of Culloden. Headpieces adorned with feathers, dresses with intriquite detailing, muted colour palettes and printed shirts all convey a surreal atmosphere for which the inspiration in unmistakable.

Destruction is another concept in which I probably invest way too much time.

There is just so much beauty to be found in that which others so easily disregard and cast aside once its beauty has been tainted. It's well known that forest fires are essential when it comes to regeneration and maintenance of important ecosystems. In fact some species actually depend on these seemingly destructive acts of nature to thrive.

So why is it so difficult for us to do the same? Metaphorically, of course.

A great interpretation of this concept can be seen in the work done by A-Cold-Wall* and their method of stripping down until we're left with nothing but that which is completely raw. It's almost uncomfortable to witness because we're so conditioned to the addition of everything presenting itself as grossly "put on" and artificial. During their Spring/Summer 2019 show we experienced quite literally the birth of a new era in fashion.

Not to say that this experimental aesthetic has not been lurking underground thanks to the likes of Carol Christian Poell and Martin Margiela, it is just now being brought to the surface. However let's give credit where credit is due shall we.

It may not seem this way but there is inspiration to be found everywhere and in everything if you look close enough.

Whatever inspires you and is an enriching source for the way you experience daily life should be a constant, possibly evolving inspiration and not just something that changes with the season.

Take some time to explore the depths of yourself and I promise it would be a fundamental trip that you will not regret.