Once part of the most integral European Streetwear company, Gimme 5, Fats is now the photographer for quality, insight & original Streetwear treatments. He has worked on influential labels such as Gimme 5, GoodEnoughUk, A Bathing Ape, Silas, Vans & Maharishi to name a few.
Fats embodies so much of what we consider street wear & street culture that his opinion, whether visual or verbal, is worth seeking out.
(from www.fatsarazzi.co.uk)
I know your first passion now lies in photography. Do you consider yourself more a fashion photographer or an art photographer? And there is difference between the two, in your opinion?
First and foremost, I consider myself a photographer. Then secondly I would consider myself a reportage photographer. I document the moment we are in. But if I had to I would lean a little more towards an art photographer, I like thinking I am good at conceptual photography. But then, when I have done fashion shoots I have tried to make them look like reportage.
I like things to look real, unplanned… natural.
Your 3 favourite photographers are…
Henri Cartier Bresson – for life.
David Bailey – for the fantasy.
Ricky Powell – for the comedy.
Ok, now let’s talk about streetwear… what is the state of the scene, as you see it?
I hate the term streetwear… is there a scene anymore ?
Streetwear has become a constant in fashion, like haute couture and denim. It is clothing that is put into a box by the industry, because at one time it was something that could not be labelled, but the industry needs labels. Today it is a source of income that big companies want a touch of, and therefore the drive and impetus has changed.
Without even being aware the scene has been put into a box and tied up with a nice bow on top.
We have labels that are out there in the ‘streetwear’ that are purely there for the money. They have seen kids desire for this type of clothing, the companies follow a formula and churn out product that they feel fits the criteria and at a price that all can afford.
Today, because of this, a teen age kid has no knowledge of the difference between Bench, Carhartt, and Neighborhood. The only difference is the price and that is what it is all about… the money.
You have stores that maybe only sold denim and such, now they see that the kids wear this ‘streetwear’ stuff and they dedicate some of their buying budget to ‘streetwear’, not because they are into it, they just see it as a potential profit centre to balance out the loss of Levi’s sales.
I believe that there is no scene right now and perhaps we kid ourselves that the ‘streetwear’ scene still exists because there are a pocket of us still doing things how we used to, and we chose to label this thing ‘streetwear’ because the name exists. Me, I believe we are evolving into something new, but we have no name for it yet, but use the terms available.
This is what happened in the 80’s and the circle is happening again… but slowly.
Do you think there are still new ideas out there, or it’s all just cut-and-paste and mash-ups? How is it possible today, to be original?
Absolutely there are new ideas out there. As far as cut & paste, and mash ups, look this whole industry is about taking what exists and making it better and your own. I look at it as creative editing. A shirt is a shirt and a jean is a jean, but how you apply yourself to it is all in the intelligence of your editing. Example, we took utility clothing in the 80’s and changed it a little and 20+ years later it is called ‘streetwear’ and everyone is doing it.
