Rudie don't fear - he has the confidence to know a good look might be down to what he's wearing or a glint in his eye. At the end of the day a true Rudeboy needs no blessing by society 'cause he knows - "Rudie can't fail"
--Don Letts
Somerset house is one of my favourite places to visit when I stay in London. The layout of the winding corridors and stairs are maze like, with exhibitions as little treasures to discover at the end of each path. A couple of years ago I assisted on a catwalk held here for London Fashion Week. The chaos of being backstage at such a seemingly sculpted vent has an alternate feel to floating around the echoing halls on a cloudy summers day. The thing that draws me to the house is the industrious feel of the steel sculptures used as tables in the cafe, combined with the classic design of the high ceilings and marble floors. It seems to pinpoint exactly what I love about London - the juxtaposition of old and new. Standing on Waterloo bridge on the way, one side faced with a skyline marked with the landmarks of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament while the other boasts grand skyscrapers more akin to Dubai than city hall. The commonality of these features is that they all tower over you, sculpted to the minutest of details, dwarfing you to insignificant dot. Here I find myself lost to the grandeur of the city, happily allowing myself to fade into the background of noise.
A similar thing happens when I go to see The Return of the Rudeboy exhibition. Aptly set within the walls of Somerset House, the space is filled with an array of photography, films and installations (including a functioning barbershop). The style it encapsulates is that of the Rudeboy - an intertwining of skinhead and mod influences, transcends back as far as the 1950s, as well as being synonymous with the 2 tone movement of the 1970s; it has more recently seen a revival. Eloquently curated, the show features large portraits of people in their own Rudeboy attire which seemed to dwarf me in the same way as the skyscrapers outside. The show reveals a craftsmanship akin to architecture, as every detail down to the shoes is meticulously selected. Here is an art form all of its own and I again allow myself to fade into the background, this time of the accompanying ska soundtrack.
I, like many others of my generation, have a tendency to romanticise the subcultures of the past. In a period when everything is marketed, there is no longer a unifying ground within youth culture that is not commercialised. So what makes the Rudeboy so different? Well as Carnival approaches, rooted in the historicity of the past as a renewal of a feeling of freedom that appears all but lost in the 21st century, I am reminded of the rich past of this particular movement. Grounded by their Jamaican forefathers, the soul of the Rudeboy has not been lost to the mass of high street brands in the same way that punk largely has. There is still the DIY element and the defining factor that Rudeboy is not about what you wear, it is about who you are. It is not simply a trend you pick up and try on but rather a lifestyle rich with culture. At a point where core values and strong character seems to be lost to superficial image, the Return of the Rudeboy is exactly what is needed. As Don Letts puts its - 'In a conservative culture that feels like punk never happened, the time is right for the Return of the Rudeboy.'
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