I’m One 21st Century Mods

The Mod subculture has always been about working-class aspiration with an obsessive attention to style and detail—the right haircuts, shoes, records, shirts, wheels—to live and look impeccably neat, no matter what one’s background. From Alfie, The Beatles and The Who, to Paul Weller, Duffy, and The Rifles, the smart and urbane look is revived again and again as each generation rediscovers what it means to be a Mod.
Today across Britain the lifestyle is still going strong, and it is lovingly recorded here by photographer Horst Friedrichs. His passion for everything Mod extends from high-end fashion accessories to an appreciation of the subculture itself—endless dance parties, Vespa rides, and a pared down way of life that is best defined as “clean living under difficult circumstances.” Whether shot in Margate, Scarborough, Brighton, or London, Friedrich’s photographs could be right out of 1966 in the way they capture the essence of Mod. This rare collection of stunning images provides a sensitive portrayal of Britain’s Mod community from the past decade and a unique insight into the diversity of the contemporary Mod scene.