Monday 11 October 2010

Streetstyle exhibition and book launch at The Book Club 30th September - 31st October

Part of Photomonth. East London Photography Festival 2010


The latest retrospective exhibition in The Book Club is organized by PYMCA (Photographic, Youth, Music, Culture, Archive) with spotlights on street style. Main emphasis is on original British subcultures, including occasional examples of international movements. Along with the exhibition a book Streetstyle is launched and several related talks are taking place. First book StreetStyle: From Sidewalk to Catwalk was released at 1994 and gained quickly popularity. The new modernized edition has over 250 images with additional 5 chapters.
The Book Club has a lively and favored urban scene; in complete it is a place you do not want to leave. With open space lounge the area is perfect for surfing in the net, enjoying lip-smacking cocktails with an oddest name ever, or for a round of ping pong. Current photographic display there reflects Britain’s rich and diverse cult movements from 50s onwards by photographers Ted Polhemus, Janette Beckman and many more. Subcultures long and vivid history has shaped a lot the way people dress nowadays; virtually it set the grounds for British fashion.
How rockabillies, skinheads or even emos embody a particular movement? The images imply individuals are confident, use to with constant attention. Naturally captured young Lolita girl in Harajuku looks a lot like a character from a fairytale. Her whole outfit is pink, even her hair and a little cuddly pony in her arms. Vaguely she reminds a punk/rock artist Gwen Stefani. A group of skinheads are photographed in own element; coherence in their style indicates pride. Two images downstairs portray women cybergoths. Their style has merging features with modern primitives: shaved eyebrows, bright artificial hair, numerous piercings are often the most significant characteristics.
The exhibition covers photographs from the book over two floors until end of October.


Books about British Style also worth checking out:
The Soul Stylists: Six Decades of Modernism - From Mods to Casuals by Paolo Hewitt
Skinheads by Nick Knight
Luella's Guide to English Style (launch 14th Oct 2010) by Luella Bartley



















Street Fashion Project (2009)
Target publication Dazed and Confuzed type magazine

Photography: Katre Laan











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