Perhaps one of the most reviled yet misunderstood of all the youth subcultures, the skinhead look originated back in the 60s as a simple fashion statement. Sartorially proud of their working class roots, the original skinhead was a multi-cultural, politically broad-minded and fashion-aware individual. Favourite music was reggae, soul and ska and key artists included Desmond Dekker, Max Romeo and The Pyramids. Above all else, genuine skinheads were obsessed with their presentation. Their choice of immaculate clothing and invariably Dr Martens boots was the ultimate anti-fashion statement and a badge of both power and pride. Sadly, the fashion suffered a phase of being appropriated by right-wing extremists and for many years was a fashion pariah. However, towards the end of the 90s, the closely cropped look has been championed by a whole new generation of high profile celebrities, including David Beckham and Ewan McGregor, bringing skinhead style back into the mainstream once again. Gavin Watson's critically acclaimed photography of late 70s skinheads perfectly captures a snapshot of this unique youth culture. The scores of black and white shots offer a fascinating glimpse into a skinhead community that was multi-cultural, tightly knit and above all else, fiercely proud of their look. These are classic photographs of historical value.

Skins

Arts & Photography

Gavin Watson

Photography & Video

Gardners Books

Perhaps one of the most reviled yet misunderstood of all the youth subcultures, the skinhead look and lifestyle has now rightly returned to the very forefront of contemporary youth culture. While celebrities and sportsmen shave their heads for the red carpet, the underbelly of British youth culture has rediscovered the look via acclaimed films such as 2007's award-winning "This Is England". The look is now more fashionable than it has ever been. The single most important photographic record of this unique subculture is Gavin Watson's "Skins", now proudly released as a brand new edition on Independent Music Press, complete with over 30 new and previously unpublished photographs. The scores of black and white shots offer a fascinating glimpse into a skinhead community that was multi-cultural, tightly knit and above all else, fiercely proud of their look. These are classic photographs of historical value.

Blake Publishing

“The world Watson depicts is so skillfully captured, giving an undeniable pull to these pictures….” —FHM  What started off as a small collection of photographs the 14-year-old Gavin Watson would take of his family and friends in Wycombe, middle England, in the 1970s and 80s would grow into one of the most important and influential photographic youth culture books of the last 20 years. Skins, published in 1994 and hailed by The Times of London as “a modern classic,” has shown its influence in such photographers as Terry Richardson, Juergen Teller, and Ryan McGinley, as well as pretty much every kind of “youth” photography popular today.  Last year, having persuaded him to begin working again after a long period of self-seclusion, VICE Books was bequeathed Watson’s lost archives, hundreds of photos reaching deep into the lives of the subjects of his first book. Each photograph reveals an understanding and sensitivity that belies the sometimes brutal subject matter.  Skins & Punks is a singular retrospective complete with commentaries and oral histories. The stories behind the shots are shocking, hilarious, severe, and heartbreaking, and each gets behind what it was really like to be a rebellious workingclass youth growing up in the 1980s. This is documentary photography at its best, a stunningly intimate window into a cultural movement.  “Watson photographed from the inside, the only member of a provincial and isolated gang with a camera, only occasionally aware that his friends were part of a larger moment…. Some of his photographs are funny, some are tender, some are domestic. Many of them show skinheads smiling, others display a great vulnerability: young boys struggling for their place in an adult world. If there is aggression it is playful and uncertain. And in the background sits an unbeautified England of the 80s, a harsh depiction of extreme disunity.” —The Observer

Skins and Punks

VICE Books

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Books by Gavin Watson

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Gavin Watson. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Skins

Skins

Skins and Punks