Isn't it refreshing to stumble upon people who dance to the rhythm of their own drum? After all, hours of scrolling IG or watching videos on Tik Tok (or for us older folk Youtube) should, in theory, lead to the discovery of more than just cute baby vids and AI-generated photo collections, over and over again... sigh.
So whether it’s the late Iris Apfel, the 102-year-old fashion icon known for her oversized glasses and eclectic wardrobe, or Octavio Aguilar’s fashion label Dope Tavio that serves up avant-garde street wear that’s actually more art-wear, these are the people who live life interestingly, and who remind us that it's okay to be different.
Pic: Iris Apfel at 102 years young.
At the heart of Awesome Source's philosophy is a big, resounding YES to being authentically yourself. We believe in embracing eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, and every offbeat quirk that makes you who you are. Because let's face it, normal is overrated - just ask Mateusz Von Motz, who spray paint's this exact sentiment on big, shiny mirrors (albeit with a few extra swear words). More on Von Motz here.
Pic: Dope Tavio
We take issue with certain narratives that suggest being cool is only possible a certain way, and furthermore - that to be cool, courageous or creative requires a few cocktails or wines to be had. Instead, we stand firm in the belief that happiness, courage and creativity stems from within, fuelled by passion, determination, imagination, and a pinch of whimsy, not whiskey.
What inspires us most are the people embracing their unique perspectives, and bringing them to life through fashion, art, music, sport and food. We're inspired by "New York-born, Irish bred" fashion designer Twiggy Moore and her flair for faux fur fashion, Australian creative Ainsley Hutchense’s story-telling through gritty, aesthetic photography, and Swedish LGBTQIA+ activist and Creative Director Fredrik Robertsson’s take on haute-couture as a man.
Pic: 𝘈𝘱𝘳è𝘴 𝘚𝘬𝘪 𝘉𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘳 & 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘴
𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿 @twiggy.moore, 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 @aj_kisum, 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 @parish_god, 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 @ktheartless @gracie_gk @jenniferduerlewanger
In music, we’re listening to Canadian singer/songwriter Laye’s captivating indie-pop music like “Jesus why do you hate me” on repeat, and Arizonian UPSAHL’s “Thriving”.
In the sphere of art, we can’t get enough of digital artists like French creative Noémie, who admits to creating “sometimes strange” content, or the ever-quirky reels produced by couple Young Emperors, who loop their videos because they’re hard to watch only once.
Pic: A still from Noémie's video.
What ties each and every one of these people together is their 0 apology for their take on the world. And what we see as a result is their beautiful, unusual and enthralling outward expression of this - whether we're listening to an entire music album of cool tracks, or scrolling endlessly through creative Instagram reels - one thing is for sure - it’s an awesome experience to be had.
