An Ode to the Timeless Style of the Sixties
A photo series by John Ryan Hebert featuring Forrest Minchinton
Words by Ben Giese
Palm Springs circa 1960s was a golden place where people dreamed golden dreams.
It was a time when we dreamed of putting humans on the moon. We dreamed of peace and equality for all mankind. Of romance and beauty. Of the future, and the endless possibilities on the horizon. It was a time of tension and idealism that propelled us forward into a new and better way of living. It was also a time of unmistakable style and elegance that still inspires our culture today. When I think of the Sixties, I think of the iconic fashion, the seamless architecture, seductive automobiles, and elegantly designed motorcycles. Not too loud and not too flashy, but just the right amount of classy. Clean lines that just seem to get better with age. Nothing more than necessary, and somehow still everything you could want. I also think the analog world of the Sixties just seems much more appealing as we drift further and further into a digital world. I often ponder what it was like to live at that time, when rules were few, life was slow, and style was boundless. So, to indulge in the fantasies of a decade we never got to experience, we rode out to Palm Springs for a two-wheeled vacation under the California sun. I know that I romanticize this decade, and the Sixties were far from perfect. There was immense politlical and social tension similar to what we are currently facing, so it’s nice to look back and remind ourselves of something something Steve McQueen once said, “Every time I start thinking the world is all bad, then I start seeing people out there having a good time on motorcycles. It makes me take another look.”
