Set in Tilbury, Essex, photographer Paolo Zerbini and stylist Nic Jottkandt shoot teenage kids getting their kicks around town. Here, the creative duo talk through their inspirations for the shoot…
Paolo and Nic:
Something about the bleakness of the film Fish Tank intrigued and appealed to us, so we took a trip to Tilbury because part of it was filmed there – for its apparent toughness. What we found however, was a real sense of community and a clear attempt to carve out personalised spaces amongst the neglect of the town.
On the first trip we met a teenage boy on a bike who wouldn’t let us take his photo, but we encountered him again a while later and he was bragging to his mates that a photographer had asked to take his picture. He was obviously pleased that we’d turned up in time to corroborate his story! He seemed strangely representative of the town itself: pretending not to be, but craving attention.
It made us think about how the kids would make it possible for themselves to leave if they wanted to and how creativity is one of the ways out of a small, not quite suburban town. It occurred to us that i-D is one of the few establishments that rewards creativity above all else so it seemed appropriate to shoot a new generation of future designers in this environment.
Photography: Paolo Zerbini
Styling: Nic Jottkandt
Photography Assistance: Gaia Zamboni
Styling Assistance: Christina Greenacre
Grooming: Nathalie Malbert
Models: Joe Arnott @ Elite, Imogen Newton @Viva and Sam Lewis @ Models 1
With thanks to Conor, Kate Cadbury and the Tilbury Sports and Social Centre
Imogen wears Jacket and Chains Isla Skelton. Joe wears Shirt Jeffrey Smith. Shorts, Trainers and Socks Nike. Watch Luke.
