Meet Clint, Gabriel Moses, Slawn: The underground taking over British culture
Born on the fringes, they’re smashing art, fashion, and image into the mainstream—the UK is back at the forefront of cultural experimentation
The UK society has always been a hub for cultural experimentation and a significant predictor when it comes to cultural trends. Almost all Western countercultures from the past century originated there, beginning with the mods in the sixties, then the rockers and punks, followed by the new wave and ravers of the nineties. Each of these movements started as a British thing.
Today, in a completely different context, the UK continues to offer valuable lessons in cultural evolution and creative innovation.
New and unconventional creative voices have shaped contemporary British mainstream imagery. Streetwear entrepreneur Clint is designing it, photographer Gabriel Moses is shooting it, and artist Slawn is painting it. What do they all have in common? They’re children of the diaspora, carving paths with nothing but vision, urgency, and a DIY mindset.
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The UK has long been a vibrant example of multiculturalism. Since the arrival of the Windrush generation in the 60s, waves of immigrants have made the country their own, continuously redefining what it means to be British.
That transformative moment was fueled by the same forces that are shaping today’s creative landscape: a DIY mindset, community engagement, and a sense of rawness, authenticity, and urgency in expression.
When diverse voices come together, something new always breaks through. This innovative potential has been evident since the 1990s, when Caribbean sound systems combined with acid house energy to create jungle—a raw, hybrid genre that laid the groundwork for garage, grime, and the distinct sound of contemporary Britain.
That transformative moment was fuelled by the same forces that are shaping today’s creative landscape: a DIY mindset, community engagement, and a sense of rawness, authenticity and urgency in expression.
These same traits now influence British creativity, moving from music into fashion, art, and beyond.
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Clint 419 – The Streetwear Architect Who’s Rewriting the Rules of British Fashion from the Ground Up
“DUN IT,” boldly displayed in all caps on a tee as part of a recent collaboration with Nike, perfectly encapsulates Clint and his extension-of-self brand, Corteiz: raw, tough, provocative, proudly rooted in local culture, and highly community-oriented. Raised in North London by Nigerian parents, Clint’s visionary marketing approach—characterised by guerrilla marketing campaigns, culturally relevant endorsements and extremely limited releases—has led him to an undeniable success.
Clint 419 runs his brand with the same intensity with which he lives: no fluff, pure hustle, eyes on the prize. With each drop and campaign, his influence has steadily grown in the contemporary British scene. He has collaborated with nearly all the hottest names on the island, from Jorja Smith to Kobbie Mainoo, and from Dave to Phil Foden. In recognition of his impact, he was nominated by the British Fashion Council for the “New Establishment Menswear” award in 2023.
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Gabriel Moses – The Self-Taught Photographer Who’s Reshaping the Face of British Visual Culture
Stark contrasts and strong textures dominate nearly all his works, guiding the viewer on a profound and authentic emotional journey. Gabriel Moses is a self-taught photographer who grew up in South London in a Nigerian household.
Despite lacking formal education in the creative arts, he has always been driven by a raw desire to explore emotion and aesthetics. His understanding of beauty is shaped by the imagery of his everyday life, which includes community, sport, music, and lifestyle.
Pop culture weaves throughout his work, forming a world he navigates with ease. Collaborating with notable brands and artists such as Nike, Corteiz, Wizkid and Skepta, his instinctual approach has propelled him to a position of significant influence within the contemporary British mainstream culture.
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Slawn – The Cultural Disruptor Turning Hype into Mainstream Power Through Art
“I’m not an artist, I paint like a 6-year-old,” he says on his Instagram, where giant works displayed in Piccadilly Circus coexist with body-paint sessions. Fight clips from his exhibitions sit next to barefaced money phones, while snapshots of his son are just a scroll away from shoutouts by Kim Kardashian. This intricate mix of seemingly unrelated moments is held together by a clear thread: bold, stripped-back, and deliberately provocative works that define Slawn’s signature.
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Born in Lagos and influenced by the city’s skateboarding scene, Slawn moved to London at the age of 17 to study Graphic Design. When the lockdown occurred, he turned to painting and just four years later, he was selling out exhibitions and racking up seven-figure nights. Since then, his cultural imprint has only intensified: from redesigning the FA Cup trophy to customising Rolex Oyster Perpetuals and fronting the Air Max 90 campaign, he has marked the past few years with a string of defining moments.
Slawn’s cultural impact is not a mere byproduct of hype; it’s built on it. As critics question his legitimacy, the spotlight continues to grow brighter, giving him the perfect stage to inject Yoruba references and warped pop caricatures into the heart of the mainstream.
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What These Stories Are Really About
Three figures are reshaping British culture from the margins, on their own terms and by their own rules. They have become leading voices not through invitation but out of necessity, driven by the urgency to be heard in conversations that have long excluded them. Their rise didn’t follow a traditional path; it redrew one.
Each has transformed pressure into momentum, forging new cultural ground and becoming unprecedented role models for the communities they represent. The tension woven through their diasporic stories has become a source of energy, clarity, and hunger, all channelled into cultural innovation.
Just as diamonds are formed under pressure, after seventy years, the descendants of those who rebuilt Britain after WWII are finally rebuilding its narrative from within.
Edoardo Passacantando
Editor, Milano