Return of the Rudeboy: Somerset House

posted by Louie Zeegen August 6, 2014

This summer Somerset House presents ‘Return of the Rudeboy’, an exhibition curated and created by prolific photographer and filmmaker Dean Chalkley and famed in the fashion world, creative director Harris Elliot.

The duo photographed over 60 sharply dressed individuals from across the country and are now showcasing their series of portraits, installations and set pieces. If ever there was an exhibition to inspire you to smarten up and sport your finest threads, this is it.

A fully immersive experience, the exhibition is so much more than snapshots of the sharpest dressed guys in the business. It embodies all that it means to be a Rudeboy (or Rudie) in the 21st century. It takes on a journey, from the music right down to grooming techniques. Each of the subjects have provided their own signature playlist, the soundtrack of their lives, that provides a sonic embellishment to the visual delights.

Arguably, the best part about it is the pop-up grooming station where visitors can book an appointment to get a haircut or beard trim by a top Rudeboy barber.

The exhibition is perfectly captures the spirit of the whole of the Rudeboy movement, from late 1950s Jamaica to the 1980s Two-Tone revival and the adopted swagger and attitude of todays youth.

Photography by Dean Chalkley and creative direction by Harris Elliott.