The Originality Movement: Beyond The Cookie Cutter

Fashion and what we own, is most often dictated by trend. Other factors include economic status, belief systems, and groups we belong to. The fact is though, that in current society, there is very little originality. It isn’t uncommon to see others wearing the same item of clothing, driving the same car, owning the same computer system, or carrying the same Starbuck’s paper cup full of coffee. I remember when I was about eight years old, back in the ’70s, reading one of my dad’s car mags. An article promised by the year 2000, an incredible assortment of futuristic and space age cars. Over the years I looked forward to seeing the arrival of this day… and now I find myself in 2007. Yes, we find ourselves with slightly different looking vehicles than those that populated the streets of the ’70s, but few ever stand out. Popularity in fashion and items, is most often the child of conformity. However, to make this conformity work, one must have money, and quite often… a lot of it. As the economic picture tightens around the average American… their ability to buy into the current trends, greatly decreases.

Throughout history some of the greatest ideas, inventions, styles, and ways of living, emerged from societal upheaval. Necessity is the mother of invention, and we are seeing no less in our current situation. Though people’s finances are no longer able to afford them their cookie cutter luxuries, they are finding pleasure in things they perhaps would have never pursued otherwise. DIY cultures are springing up right and left, and the idea that we can have things as we want them… not as they come prepackaged from the store, is gaining in popularity. In the area of computers we have the Open Source community. These people are providing us with real choices, and quite often, the ability to personalize our experience.

In the times of old Europe, clothes were passed down through the various levels of the classes. Each class would then alter the clothing to suit their own needs and style, and it was not uncommon for an item to go through several incarnations. Of course back then fabrics were more durable, but we are once again seeing the emergence of used clothing as a trend. Many people are finding pleasure in altering clothing and coming up with new styles that personalize rather than commercialize. Sites like MAKE are bringing DIY projects into the forefront, and a renaissance of ideas are being born. Create your own personalized electronics, gadgets, inventions…these sites are making the idea of individuality cool again. Amidst this DIY trend, whole new alternate realities are popping up. Take for example Steampunk. Steampunk was made popular by writers such as William Gibson, who painted us pictures of a bygone age where steam technologies were in vogue. This reality genre has grown, and now many variants of it exist. Sites like Honkey Tonk Dragon, and Brass Goggles have pics of incredible Steampunk creations… from computer accessories to coffee makers. Cyberpunk is another reality genre, but focuses on futuristic designs and technologies.

Many alternative cultures are rising up out of the ashes of consumerism, the focus being coolness and quality rather than conformity and mass production. It doesn’t matter what you own, or how little money you have, it is possible for anyone to have really cool stuff. In fact, it is pretty much guaranteed… with DIY, you’ll be one of a kind.

[tags]DIY, fashion, trends, Cyberpunk, Steampunk, ShadowMyth, Lockergnome [/tags]