Kuba Dabrowski, MODES and the importance of capturing the ordinary

Kuba Dabrowski is a Polish-born photographer who does not disdain the chores of everyday life and was recently called upon by MODES Garments - an Italian retail network with boutiques in the world's most iconic locations in Italy, Switzerland and France - to shoot the campaign for the new line of MODES Garments t-shirts. 22 boutique networks under its belt connected by its exclusive digital platform, the juxtaposition of iconic maisons with avant-garde niche brands, a look at the kidswear scene as well: Modes represents the discovery and desire to offer customers an inimitable experience in Europe's most exclusive destinations. Its DNA avowedly devoted to creativity and eclecticism has found a new expressive dimension in the presentation of its first private label of t-shirts. The result was MODES Garments, a unisex clothing line that was able to give voice to the aspirations and inventiveness of international artists.

«What drives me to photograph is not the need to give voice to my imagination, but is to be able to capture the present» Kuba explains to us during the interview. «Even if I work on fashion or advertising projects, such as the one for Modes Garments, I always maintain a documentary approach» the photographer continues. He started shooting early, "but it took time to figure out what my kind of narrative was. I always wanted my photos to reflect a very specific state of mind, one in which life seems to turn into a movie. And, to do that, I had to do nothing but draw on everyday things. To the ordinary, to books, to songs," Kuba tells me nonchalantly. This has not prevented the photographer specializing in street style from being able to work in fashion, "a second language that I learned in the field made of reportage upon reportage and a lot of studying. In the end, clothes, at least from my point of view, are secondary. It is more a matter of documenting attitudes, interests and personalities. In a campaign or a shoot, styling is definitely essential, but I am of the opinion that it is not necessary to follow an overly rigid script to cast the models in an effective and engaging storytelling. I prefer everything to happen as naturally as possible." 

In fact, Milan and Modes were a ground of exploration for the first drop of MODES Garments, consisting of unisex t-shirts in three colors (white, black and blue) entirely Made in Italy and made of organic cotton in full respect of sustainability. Dispensing with plastic poses and glamour-prone post-productions, the photo campaign embraced a wide-ranging project focused primarily on capturing the many forms associated with expressing one's authenticity. T-shirts are like souvenirs - artist Giacomo Fumagalli was the creator of the six designs imprinted on the white model each depicting a location where MODES is present - blank canvases on which creatives like Kuba are called upon to leave a recognizable imprint. «I went to the streets of Milan - its asphalt, colors and architecture remain unmistakable - on skateboards, alongside the models trying to create something highly symbiotic».

The impression you get from scrolling through the photos is really that of a reportage made by one of the skateboarders because "when you're on a skateboard, it's as if you're forced to actually have to interact with the outside world. And, if you add a camera, it means you are totally immersed in something. Paradoxically, photographers and skateboarders are closer than you might think: they are in the condition of necessarily having to reinterpret the outside. Certain colors, contexts or situations are meant to become simply something else. The guys you see filmed along the streets or bars of Milan never separate themselves from their skateboard and t-shirt, becoming one with the asphalt and the vibe of the city. If I were to turn the project into an exhibition, it would definitely have the title of an Italian song or poem," Kuba concludes.