Why Am I Thinking So Much About Duran Duran?

I can’t say that I was ever a big Duran Duran follower. I’ve owned exactly two Duran Duran singles — a 12″ of “Girls on Film” and this four song sampler that included the fab five along with other pseudo New Romantics Talk Talk, Thomas Dolby and Classix Nouveau.

This month, however, it seems like Duran Duran is following me. Forst there was this article in The Awl. Then, when I was in Kensington Market buying groceries, some guying was selling a huge collection of 1980s-era fan magazines and biographies. And I keep hearing “Save A Prayer” and “Rio” in the Shoppers Drug Mart.

So I fell into a Duran Duran hole, reading up on what the lads have been up to since I last met up with them in 1994 (oh yeah, I interviewed Simon, Nick and John in person back in the day — Simon and I were wearing the same rhinestone studded collar). But mostly I enjoyed rediscovering their classic ’80s fashions. I’m going to start looking for a macrame necklace like the one Simon wore in the “Planet Earth” video (see below). And if I was a skinny-hipped lad, I’d definitely wear a sash like John Taylor. You can keep the pirate shirt though.