1. Outside

Featuring Nick Gavrilov Words by Nastasia Khmelnitski

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Nick Gavrilov - a photographer and fashion director at Generation z, lives in St. Petersburg, Russia. Nick's works are about today’s youth, which is rebelling, seeks underground locations, and craves for change while also being this change. The emotional background is brave, outrageous, inspiring, thrilling, and very outspoken. The main objective is to find a discomforting feature and project it in a storytelling mode.

Nick speaks about his decision to start photographing, shooting on analog and digital cameras, his work as a stylist, and a desire to move towards the fashion industry. Nick worked with brands like Adidas, Nike, Reebok and more.

‘After graduating from university, I did a lot of thinking about what I want to devote my life to and what interests me.’

Hi Nick, when did you realize that photography is going to become your profession? Was it connected to a specific project or were you affected by the people in your close circle who are in the same niche?

I always thought that I would become an engineer and would work in this profession. I had this thought up until I graduated from the university and broke up with my girlfriend whom I'd been seeing during my studies (we had big plans for the future together at that moment, and I was completely satisfied with these prospects). 

I was influenced by a close circle of friends to start with photography. They photographed on analogue cameras and had a huge interest in photography. When I saw what they were shooting and how I started taking their cameras and tried to shoot on film under their supervision. It became my main hobby. I invested more and more time in it photographing my friends and everything around that interested me. After graduating from university, I did a lot of thinking about what I want to devote my life to and what interests me. At some point, I encountered fashion photography and fashion in general, and I realized that this is it.

‘I raise the topics of and tell about stories that interest or scare me, cause discomfort or show something unknown.’

How do you feel you are contributing to societal, cultural changes with your photography and art? 

It is difficult to say, probably everyone should decide for themselves. In my works, I raise the topics of and tell about stories that interest or scare me, cause discomfort or show something unknown. I try to move away from a documentary (reportage) filming and shoot more of the conceptual stories.

What is the country chic? Do you think this might become a trend? ASAP Rocky had brought back babushka to the fashion scene, Demna Gvasalia, Gosha Rubchinskiy, Dva Myacha dictate the world the direction that feeds on nostalgia, on aesthetics of non-fashion.

I lived most of my life in the countryside, and I still try to come as often as possible to visit my parents there. I think that exactly is a kind of trend and for quite a long time now, so yes. But the main point is that this trend is based on simplicity and naturalness, which has always been and will always remain a trend (I don't like this term).

‘While answering those questions, I listened to David Bowie's album 1. Outside.’

Who are the music artists that inspire you? Any recent albums you have discovered that you would like to share?

While answering those questions, I listened to David Bowie's album 1. Outside. Different music inspires me, but lately, I've been listening to Korn, Type O Negative, Ramones, Ministry.

What’s your favorite weekend activity? Where one can find you?

In my free time, I started playing table tennis more often. Also, sometimes we go to play billiards. I swim periodically. Or we just gather with friends in apartments and hang out. Because of the weather in St. Petersburg, you can't really travel as much but I try to get out of the city.

How working as a stylist helped in creating a photographic series and approaching the photoshoot differently? 

I really liked to work as a stylist, picking up looks for models based on their preferences and mood. The work as a stylist helped me to understand people from this industry and to develop a certain idea or feeling about future trends due to constant contact and communication.

Film or digital? Why?

Shooting on the iPhone. Depending on the task at hand, I shoot often on film, but shooting on a digital camera has its own advantages. So, I even try to use it more lately.

What is the hardest shoot you had worked on? How did you find the solutions to make it happen? 

I don't think I had this type of shoot yet. Each shoot was difficult in its own way. However, I cannot say that it was hard for me to do or that there were tasks that were difficult to solve.

What are some of the immediate goals the Generation z platform, you are a Fashion Director at, wants to conquer in 2019?

The main goal of Generation z is to launch print editions. That's something we will be working in the near future on with the team. 

What’s next? What will you be working on in this quarter?

Currently, we are working on several interesting projects that I cannot talk about yet. I also plan to release a spring capsule of my brand and launch a website. I also plan to get more into shooting music videos and commercials.