Genesis Of An Idea: Dirty Pearls

 I talk a lot about inspiration. That's because I'm constantly on the hunt for it. It's a primal need. Jack London once said "You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it...with a club" :). Yep. The cool thing is that it can come from so many places - you never know where you're going to find it. Art, catalog covers, poetry, random cataclysms of clothing landing next to each other, a photo, a friend, a movie. Inspiration can literally be hiding anywhere. For example, in her song Heavy Metal Lover, Lady Gaga used the phrase "dirty pearls". It's an unusual coupling of images and while I understood the concept within the confines of the song, I started to wonder how you would actually create the idea of "dirty pearls" in real life, in an outfit. How do you find a way to convey a grittier aspect to pearls than softness and chic? How do play with the idea of a street urchin with a smoky, beautiful heart and a bit of an attitude holding on to a treasured accessory, handed down from a mother or grandmother, or wearing pearls as a reminder that you can survive tough times and as a talisman for where you're headed?  How do you create an outfit that has this fierceness, but with pearls? That was a challenge I tried to take on one day in coming up with an outfit. It led to a black-on-black ensemble with slim, straight jeans, a biker-inspired jacket and a slinky tunic, finished with studded heels. To bring in the "dirty" aspect, I twisted the pearls with a hematite chain. My basic style is fairly classic, but this idea pushed me toward the boundaries of that term and helped me create a look that was fresh(water) :) and different. I really enjoyed how it came out...and that one phrase was the catalyst for the whole concept.