Ask any writer, artist or struggling creative person and he/she will tell you this: finding inspiration seems to be a paradox. The more one obviously searches for it, the less of it you find. In fact, the late American journalist Brenda Ueland once stated, “I learned that inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic, striving, but it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness.” Whew.
So, in the same spirit of serendipity, I’ve scribbled down a list filled with ascendant names, under-the-radar shenanigans, and next-level kind of stuff. A product of my own downtime, these six ways should lead you forward or, at the very least, direct you to a far less serious state of mind.
1. Laugh a little – or a lot.
Karl Lagerfeld is thin, but do you know he’s also funny? Well, it’s not the real Kaiser you’re actually reading about, but Karl Lagerfeld’s Guide to Life (fakekarl.blogspot.com) is still as hilarious as fashion editors tripping on their sick Nicholas Kirkwood heels.
Written by a mystery male/female blogger, Fake Karl is “an antidote to the seriousness of fashion today.” Proof? On skinny jeans, the faux icon says, “You don’t have pity for those that cannot fit into them, just as you don’t have pity for someone who isn’t a doctor of philosophy. That would be wrong. Yes, it would be wrong, children. Wrong like how you feel when you eat that stick of celery: ‘Ooooh, I feel so bad now. I just had a calorie.’”
As a knowing wink to Lagerfeld devotees, Fake Karl even acknowledges teen fashion diarist Jane Aldridge as “my daughter.” On Sea of Shoes (seaofshoes.typepad.com), the 17-year-old famously referred to the designer as “Dad.”
2. Drool over an It Brit.
As Kate Moss continues to age, the UK fashion press has stumbled over its collective knickers trying to find a worthy successor. In a sea of new generation It Brits — including Daisy Lowe, Georgia Jagger and Poppy Delevigne — TV presenter and ex-fashion model Alexa Chung seems to be the one that quickens the most pulses.
Born in Hampshire, England to an English mother and a Chinese father, Alexa has a look that straddles two worlds. Pretty face and rock star boyfriend (Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner) aside, it’s her quick wit that has added to her multi-hyphenate appeal. “The real Chung signature, though, is a sharp tongue and a deeply deadpan sarcasm, which was made evident on even her earliest effort, the cult morning show Popworld, where she was encouraged to ‘take the piss out of the bands,’” wrote Alison Taylor in the Winter 2008 issue of Nylon Guys.
3. Listen to something fresh.
With Kanye West as his mentor, it’s no surprise that 23-year-old Kid Cudi — KiD CuDi, actually — is swaggering his way to hip-hop superduperstardom. Born Scott Mescudi, the Cleveland, Ohio native has already signed to Kanye’s GOOD Music record label and clocked in a crucial appearance on the rapper’s 2008 release “808s and Heartbreak.”
Though Kid Cudi’s debut, “Man On The Moon: The Guardians,” has yet to drop, copies leaked online prove that you should believe the hype. Electro crunk remixes of Day ‘N’ Nite prove that he has tremendous crossover appeal, while the rest of the album (especially the bonus track Super Boo) suggest that his adventurous blend of dance and rap could just be the sound of 2009.
4. Salute some ‘90s icons.
As far as trends go, we are hovering somewhere between 1991 and 1994. And so, as absurd as it sounds, if you want to be current, you’ve got to be retro.
An old-timey sitcom that’s going through a clear renaissance, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air had its primetime run from 1990 to 1996. Created around then rap star Will Smith, who was part of the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, the show focused on the class differences between the wealthy, refined Banks family and the streetwise Will who suddenly moves in with them.
Paying tribute to this neon-hued moment in pop culture history, the kids of Demeanor have come up with T-shirts bearing the royal rapper’s likeness. “His notoriety and (mis)demeanor in upscale Bel-Air catapulted street style swagger to a whole new level of cool. We’re talking safari print windbreakers and squeaky clean J’s!” they explain.
Launching today at Commune (12-B G/F Century Plaza, Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City; tel. no. 813-2860; communemanila.blogspot.com), the shirts — another one was inspired by the 1989 Spike Lee joint, Do The Right Thing — capture the Demeanor vibe. “We want everyone to know that attitude is everything. It gets things done and gets people places.”
Speaking of throwbacks, the Air Jordan 3 is proving to be a success the third time around. After hitting the streets in 1988, the shoe was retroed in 1994 to a rather tepid response. When the Air Jordan 3 was sold again as a re-retro in 2001, it was a hit. Eight years on, the hunt for dead stock Jordan 3s continues. The groundbreaking shoe with the Jumpman logo has been spotted on the likes of Lily Allen and Kid Cudi, multiplying its street cred. By the way, a never-worn pair is available at Commune.
5. Look awesome.
The Japanese may sport wildly crooked teeth and speak funny Engrish, but their fashion scene is definitely hard to beat. Following last fall’s Japan Fashion Week, a clutch of hotly tipped brands staged their own shows under the banner “The Tokyo Men’s Collection.”
There were very interesting presentations but the strongest one that season was by the upstart John Lawrence Sullivan. Named after the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing, JLS designer Arashi Yanagawa dressed gothic-looking models in impeccable one-button suits, fine cardigans, and lipstick red patent shoes that echo Hedi Slimane’s Dior. The label’s strength, after all, lies in its Savile Row-inspired tailoring and friendlier price points; John Lawrence Sullivan is as sharp as Lanvin and Thom Browne but is slightly more affordable.
After wowing the world with cult faves Number (N)ine and Undercover early this decade, the Land of the Rising Sun is all set to close the 00s with a new vanguard of menswear lines: Factotum, Soe by Soichiro Ito, N.Hoolywood by Daisuke Obana, Ships, and yes, John Lawrence Sullivan.
6. Give yourself an indie rom-com boner.
There’s one particular movie that has got the Interwebs wishing it was Sundance season already: 500 Days of Summer. Though the plot (framed by the tag lines “Boy meets Girl, Boy falls in love, Girl doesn’t”) is a huge love story cliché, the movie’s darlings, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, are what indie orgasms are made of.
According to the Sundance site, “That Tom, a hapless greeting-card copywriter, and the alluring Summer, his temporary office mate, fluctuate between the highs and lows of infatuation, dating, sex, and separation is the conventional aspect of an unconventional tale of self-discovery and relationships.” If 500 Days of Summer turns out to be even half as enjoyable as Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, then the wait would have all been worth it.