Born in 1966 Horst Friedrich is a reknown photographer who celebrates counter culture and tribes, producing extraordinary photo books featuring fashion & lifestyle beyond the mainstream. Horst's freelance photo-journalism has been featured in Stern, Geo, the New York Times and the Independent. After a life of travel, and travel writing, Horst settled in London and somehow got himself hooked into the Cafe Racer/Rocker scene in the UK and the culture that surrounds it. Back in South America Horst had ridden a Guzzi (he wanted a Triumph, you but try getting Triumph spares in the South American jungle!) so biking was already in his blood, although in London his wheels are pedal powered. (...C'mon Horst, you know you want another motorcycle) Since the 1950s the Rocker's jacket represented the mark of rebellion, always individualised and customised (much like the bikes) and has gone on to be adopted over and over again by newer youth tribes from the punks, to the goths, metalheads and way beyond, and if you've ever been to Camden Market in London you'll still see enough black studded leather to clothe an army of bikers big enough to conquer a small nation. But it's not just about leather, studs and Ace Cafe patches. The people who wear these icon's of independence and rebellion all have their own story to tell, often marked out by the lines in their faces or the glint in their eye. So what's in the book? Pride & Glory - The Art of the Rocker's Jacket - has hundreds of photos of rocker jackets and their wearers, from crusty old bikers to the new influx of younger bikers, plus there are unseen vintage leather jackets from the Lewis Leathers archive alongside contemporary designs, an introductory essay by Colin Fallows, Professor of Sound and Visual Arts at Liverpool‘s John Moores University (there's your intellectual excuses taken care of), and an in-depth conversation with Derek Harris, Proprietor of Lewis Leathers.

Now, where's that acrylic paint got to...? Published by DAAB the book is launched on 22nd November 2012. Check the Facebook page and just maybe you'd like to get yourself a copy , or perhaps stick it on your Christmas list?