The Dark Horse

Today’s post is a special one. Back in August I visited my sister in Chicago and she suggested I take advantage of the many art installations the city has to offer for a photoshoot. Her favorite is a mural of two black horses by artist Ricky Lee Gordon. Part of the Wasbash Arts Corridor, this “living urban canvas” entitled I Am You / You Are Me immediately spoke to me too.

When I first started In Spades I agonized over the name. I’m not kidding when I say I did focus groups, sent surveys to family and friends and sat with my ideas for months. What came forth was something a little unorthodox, but felt inherently me – The Dark Horse. It spoke to my interest in non-conformist dressing – getting dressed for you and you alone, not your significant other, the girls you’re trying to compete with or the trends you think you should embody. It embodies my love of the underdog, the one that chooses to march to the beat of her own drum. I like different. I cherish weird. The Dark Horse doesn’t just understand that, she personifies it.

While The Dark Horse didn’t land as my blog name, it still speaks to me as a state of mind.

Gordon’s main message in this mural is one of interconnectedness (I encourage you to read more about it here). While fashion allows for one of the highest forms of self expression, it also finds a way to bond us all together. To make us feel as though we have a tribe. I chose to wear all black for this shoot for obvious reasons. During this little slice of creative expression, we were a tribe. It was important to highlight the overall story, not to stand out as its star.

Personal style is so fascinating. There are times when we want to overly embellish and there are times when we want to wipe the canvas clean and return to basics. I think the common thread is exactly what Gordon set out to do with his mural – no matter what our mood chooses to depict on the outside, it is the connection we feel to ourselves and each other on the inside that matters.