THROUGH THE LENS: 10 People Around the World Define Street Culture to Them

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"Chris, the writer. He uses his body like a white wall, inscribing things that have meaning to him. He is a walking canvas that is far from finished." - João Henriques, Lisbon

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"Fabio, a.k.a. KidGalindro, is an illustrator, graphic designer and head of social media for a skate shop. The black notepad and Sharpie are fundamental to his life. He never knows when that "eureka" moment will come." - João Henriques, Lisbon

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"Ron is a Portuguese dancer living in London. His fluid dance style contradicts the strict architectural lines of the Cais do Sodré subway station. As he danced to house music, I pressed the shutter at the exact moment he aligned with the lights." - João Henriques, Lisbon

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"A local skate park of mine in South East London where the flats have now been knocked down. Shot on 35mm (Lego Blocks)." - Chris Searle, London

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"Skating an abandoned hospital for a week on the sly until we got banished." - Chris Searle, London

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"Evaluating the day and deciding what now?" - Chris Searle, London

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"Students, Providence, Rhode Island." - Evan Tetreault, Boston

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"Artists, Bronx, New York." - Evan Tetreault, Boston

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"Surfer, Providence, Rhode Island." - Evan Tetreault, Boston

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"Skater, Downtown, Boston." - Evan Tetreault, Boston

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"Lorenzo Zurcher, a.k.a. Truffa, in 'The Spectrum' graffiti shop, a point of reference for Italian sneakers & streetwear graffiti tools." - Federico Sorrentino, Milan

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"MIND, a graffiti artist and goldsmith based in Milan, Italy." - Federico Sorrentino, Milan

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"MIND and some of his work." - Federico Sorrentino, Milan

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"Brittany - Hall of Fame." - Huy Doan, Los Angeles

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"Nicky Diamond and his 69 Chevelle." - Huy Doan, Los Angeles

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"Javiar Nunez." - Huy Doan, Los Angeles

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"Omar and his Demon Sayers socks." - Huy Doan, Los Angeles

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"Dennis Calvero and part of his Kaws collection." - Huy Doan, Los Angeles

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"Ryan, artist, record laber producer, zine maker." - Jennilee Marigomen, Vancouver, B.C.

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"Johnny, Artist." - Jennilee Marigomen, Vancouver, B.C.

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"Ryan." - Jennilee Marigomen, Vancouver, B.C.

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"Fluker." - Jennilee Marigomen, Vancouver, B.C.

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"Rob, Greg's sign." - Jennilee Marigomen, Vancouver, B.C.

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"Girl with dope ALIFE sweater at House of Vans Asia party, Seoul." - Lea Bouchat, Seoul

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"Patrick riding in the Seoul subway, trying to avoid paying his fare." - Lea Bouchat, Seoul

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"Patrick, Jinyob and Quentin, founders of dope skate magazine Unsung Magazine, drinking beers with kindergartners in the background. Yeouido Park, Seoul." - Lea Bouchat, Seoul

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"Old guy selling fake Supreme at the Dongmyo flea market in Seoul. A lot of young kids come here to shop and find vintage sweaters, sneakers, etc." - Lea Bouchat, Seoul

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"Patrick Biffle from Unsung Magazine waiting for his turn. Yeouido Park, Seoul." - Lea Bouchat, Seoul

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"Virgil, Backyard closing party, 6th of July." - Marnix Postma, Amsterdam

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"Chamireaux MC, Backyard closing party, 6th of July." - Marnix Postma, Amsterdam

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"Kwadjo, Edward, Justin, and Francis, Backyard closing party, 6th of July." - Marnix Postma, Amsterdam

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"Papa Ghana, opening of Baskèts 3, 11th of September." - Marnix Postma, Amsterdam

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"A squatter outside of his campsite in Berlin's Kruezberg district. Given the city's rampant inflation in the 1920s, two World Wars and Communism until the late 1980s, there is a huge variation in Berliners' mindsets. Still strong here in the city is a very punk mentality. Their numbers dwindle each year, but this communist/punk/hippie ideology is still alive and strong in Berlin." - Ryan Hursh, Berlin

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"Alex Foley of Civilist skate shop in Berlin's Mitte district. Berlin is not the best city to

"Alex Foley of Civilist skate shop in Berlin's Mitte district. Berlin is not the best city to skate, it does however have a strong skateboard culture. The guys at Civilist are the backbone of the scene." - Ryan Hursh, Berlin

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"While this 61 year-old Greek man has a day job, he collects bottles in his spare time to pay for his weekly cigarettes in Mitte. It isn't something just the homeless do. Because Berlin's past has created a frugal and ecological mindset, there is no shame in digging through trash searching for a bottle." - Ryan Hursh, Berlin

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"Döner kebabs are a Berlin street food brought in by the Turkish. Arguably more popular than currywurst, it's definitely part of the street food and street culture in this city." - Ryan Hursh, Berlin

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"Spanish street performer in Kruezberg. Berlin is a city of artists whose art takes on many forms. It's also very affordable compared to other capital cities around the world. As such, many are able to do what they love to make ends meet." - Ryan Hursh, Berlin

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"From designers to investors, and skateboarders to photographers, these people in daily life represent a multitude of lifestyles: luxury, streetwear, high fashion and heritage - all mixed together. A passion for creativity and clothing is what unites these people." - Tuukka Laurila, Paris

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"Outside working hours, Parisian influences come heavily from the music and art scenes. Big exhibitions in famous museums, new artists in small galleries, and on the other hand big name DJs in sleek clubs and upcoming producers in secret suburb parties." - Tuukka Laurila, Paris

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"During the night people share a passion for hedonistic partying, while during the day they become absorbed in their inspiration sources. Cultures like skateboarding or photography connect people, create new projects and enable seeing the city with different eyes." - Tuukka Laurila, Paris

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To our readers in so-called traditional street culture markets, it has, over its many years of maturation, come to be defined by fairly clear-cut boundaries – we have our sneaker freaks, skaters, rappers, athletes and graffiti artists… our Supreme, Stussy, BAPE and much more. However, when one is situated at the center of things, there is a risk and a tendency to become absorbed in a self-referential cycle where the same definitions are reflected, distorted and refocused again through the same tired old mirrors and lenses. But what of the wealth of interpretations of street culture as found in the rest of the world and colored through the cultural lens of each respective country? How does a hip-hop dancer in Milan (a city of red-tiled roofs and soaring Gothic cathedrals and home to high fashion houses) interpret the latest Jordan release differently than a graffiti artist raised with a diet of Confucian values and K-pop?

To offer you a glimpse of the ever-changing currents of street culture that emanate from the headwaters of New York and Los Angeles yet assume a life of their own through the cultural terrain of each particular country, we have gathered a selection of images from 10 international contributors who tell us the stories of the many affected by the continuing phenomenon that is street culture.

Without further ado, enjoy the photos above in this first installment of a series casting an eye on global street culture, and stay tuned for more.

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