One of my biggest inspirations is Mod Culture. In case you don’t know what that is, the Mod movement came about in the 1960’s and summed up everything cool in the world of fashion, music and youth culture at that time. But Mod culture wasn’t just a short lived fad; Mod has filtered up through the generations to influence the 1980’s revival, Brit pop and many bands, artists and films to the present day.
What appealed to me instantly about Mod culture is the fashion! Then there is the music, the clubs, the scooters and the attitude. The fashion is hard to describe and usually gets put into a category which tends to be wrong. There aren’t any particular clothes styles, just that Mods dressed immaculately, and their clothes were always smart and unique.
As well as being obsessed with clothes, the Mods loved their music! Typically they listened to American Soul, R&B (The real stuff!) Jamaican Ska, Jazz, and some British bands such as: The Small Faces, The Kinks, The High Numbers (later becoming The Who) The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Spencer Davis Group. Mods were known for getting around by scooter. They used scooters ‘cause they were cheap and if they broke down, they wouldn’t get covered in oil! They also wore a parka over the suits to protect them from bad weather. The irony today is that scooters cost thousands and Mods wear their parkas in the car!
Mods have always been said to be arrogant ‘cause they know how to dress. 'Arrogance is a virtue afforded by the well dressed man' wrote one Mod (Lee Davies) on the www.modculture.com forum, and I tend to agree! In fact, the guys were more known for being obsessed with good clothes, than the girls believe it or not!
I’ve always thought the Jazz clubs and the coffee bars they hung out at were very cool, and I’m still quite envious I can’t find any in Sheffield! Despite the 40 year gap from when the Mod scene was born, I still love all the things that made it what it was, and I think was and still is the greatest ‘youth cult’ to exist…ever!
Here are a few of my favourite past and present Mod icons that continue to inspire my world…
David Bowie in the 60's |
David Bowie-
I was only about 12 when I first started listening to David Bowie. His was a whole new world to me! Through Bowie I decided what I wanted to do when I was older (I formed a big plan to kidnap him!) He got me into The Arts and ‘ Modism’ and changed my music taste forever, I became obsessed!
What’s most appealing about David Bowie is that you cannot categorize him. By the time you have, he would have changed again. He’s been an artist, an actor, a musician and a singer and represents British culture at its finest! |
Paul Weller-
Paul Weller is for me undoubtedly one of the greatest British icons of all time. I say this as his appearance is almost as sharp as his records. It was his look that first caught my eye; kinda scrawny with a suit, and he wasn’t bad looking either! He’s been making music for nearly twenty years and is still going strong. His writing use to be very political, (he was the typical rebel!) but now I feel he’s matured more as a writer, making more soulful and easy listening music.
His voice is a mixture of Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols, Damien from Blur and Steve Marriott of the Small Faces. Out of all the music I listen to his music has inspired me the most, my favourite tunes being Start and That’s Entertainment. He’s inspired the likes of Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene, Blur and The Verve. Weller to me is one of the greatest artists ever and an icon of modernism. |
Paul Weller in le Café Bleu phase... |
Double the Twiggy, double the fun! |
Twiggy Lawson-
Twiggy was a model in the mid sixties. Her look was so original and sassy it still inspires the fashion conscious to this day. Up until then the more curvy female figures were in fashion, like that of Marilyn Monroe and the film stars of the 1950’s. Single handily Twiggy changed all that for good, creating the ‘waif’ look, that many now association with Kate Moss.
She was unconventional, and I love that. With short boyish hair and figure, big doe eyes and pale pink lips, she was a real walking doll. Her clothes were the height of 60’s fashion; she wore mini skirts, silly socks, bright coloured 60’s patterns and hip boots. All the girls were envious of her and tried to copy her look. Despite her figure she never preached about being thin, or dieted. Twiggy is probably my greatest female icon, looks aren’t everything but hers was so much more. |
Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Cocker is the lead singer of famous Sheffield band, Pulp. I first heard them about a year ago. I was flicking through music channels and ‘Common People’ came on. I was hooked instantly. I think it was his eccentric dancing that I noticed first, but I loved his clothes too. They were particularly smart, but peculiar. Being from Sheffield, I can’t help feel a sense of pride that such an interesting icon of new Mod culture is one of our biggest exports.
Pulp was formed out of the Brit pop whirlwind and I personally think they were the best it offered. I’ve chosen Jarvis as one of my inspirations because his music and fashion have had a great impact on me.
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Jarvis Cocker...Sheffield's finest! |
If Mod is your thing, log onto www.modculture.com and find out more! |
