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Am I thinking about Xmas or Star Wars ? I don’t think so!

CLEAN BANDIT: Rroma Man

Neil Amin-Smith, the violinist from electro pop group Clean Bandit pictured showing his support for Rroma by wearing another one of our Cross-Stitch sweatshirts. Headlining at the MTV 2015 Music Showcase along with new comers Years & Years And Saint Raymond Raise, they performed their best selling UK number one of last year, Rather Be. Clean Bandit are nominated for Best British group and Best Single at the Brit Awards 2015. Founded in Cambridge, England in 2009 the electronic dance quartet consist of Jack Patterson, Luke Patterson, Grace Chatto, and Neil Amin-Smith. Their 2010 single Mozart's House was released on Black Butter Records, reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart. In January 2014, they scored their first UK Singles Chart-topping single with "Rather Be", a collaboration with Jess Glynne, featuring elements of classical music along with a dance music beat. Last year Neil Amin-Smith was spotted at Snowbombing Festival and on French TV show "Le Du Before" sporting one of our black sweatshirt, pictured below. Through his love for our clothes Neil Amin-Smith has organically become our style ambassador, we are calling this a "Rroma man" - a person who represents Rroma through their style and attitude.

Gypsies by Patrick Cariou

There are very few lucky enough to gain insight into the life of the Rroma Gypsy community. Notoriously secretive as a culture they keep there traditions and lifestyle alive through a conscious effort from both Gypsies (Rroma or Rom) and non-Gypsies (Gadje) alike to detach themselves from mainstream society. One of those lucky few is Patrick Cariou, a french photographer most famous for his works “Yes Rasta” in 2000 and “Gypsies” in 2011 in which he depicts subcultures in todays society. His fascination for outlaws and renegades has led him on a journey to Eastern Europe traveling through the Middle East and into India, retracing the route Rroma (Gypsy) people would have taken centuries ago.

Cariou a non Gypsy also know in Rroma language as a (Gagje) was only able to enter into the community through his film maker companion Guy-Laurent Winterstein, who’s relations are with the musical Manouche gypsies. The pair were able to gain some outstanding imagery, capturing the conditions in which the Rroma of the world find themselves in, contrasting poverty with opulent displays of wealth. The majority of his subjects were photographed outside, in front of their homes or in nearby surrounding village areas. What is amazing is that although the landscape changes from country to country the Rroma people are unchanged; whether it be their dress or general presentation and body language, the community photograph with the same openness and free spirit throughout. What I find most fascinating about Cariou's work is the almost “National Geographic” style. Taking photos in real time, he captures the movement and the atmosphere of the people he’s shooting.

His use of the open flash also creates an exposed feeling as if capturing a sudden moment with a stark white light. This is then exaggerated through the contrast of dark shadows in his images, which creates an intensity to some of the bleaker, impoverished conditions. However, his bold use of colour is what sets his work apart from past photographers of the Rroma, such as the black and white used in works of Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert and Josef Koudelka, equally great in their approach. Their passion to delve into the unknown and explore, has become an inspiration for me, as I'm sure it may for others sharing the same enthusiasm for the Rroma culture.

Photographs by Patrick Cariou.

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