These high contrast portrait photographs were created during the Free Wheels festival organized by The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, a famous motorbike gang that is considered an organized crime association comprised of the 1% who typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The result of the photo series is a stunningly intense and sublime compilation of portraits of the motorcyclists by a France-based artist Nicolas Auproux, called ‘Bikers.’
Hells Angels was founded in 1948 and is currently an outlawed motorcycle club in the United States and Canada that features members who ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the States, they are also considered an organized crime syndicate. The place where the photo shoot took place was also the location of the Free Wheels festival, a party, a bike show as well as a music scene in the very scenic Auvergne in France.
The festival is an international music event attracting people and fans alike from all over the world flocking to Free Wheels.
What's Driving This Trend
- Motorcycle Subculture
- The Hells Angels and their iconic Harley-Davidson motorcycles represent a unique subculture with potential for disruption in fashion, media, and tourism industries.
- Outlawed Fashion
- The outlaw aspect of the motorcycle culture, as embodied by the Hells Angels, is inspiring a bold fashion trend of leather, patches, and edgy style.
- Pop Culture Cannibalization
- The phenomenon of subcultures and countercultures being embraced by mainstream media, as exemplified by the Hells Angels, presents disruptive opportunities in entertainment, advertising, and merchandising.
Who This Affects Most
- Fashion
- The Hells Angels' outlaw image and iconic clothing present a unique opportunity for the fashion industry to capitalize on a subculture's influence.
- Tourism
- The worldwide presence and the momentous scale of events put on by the Hells Angels offer the prospect for tourism businesses to tap into the motorcycle subculture.
- Photography
- The high-contrast portrait series from France-based artist Nicolas Auproux present opportunities for related industries such as art sales, fine printing, and even advertising.
