Exactitudes
Final edition
The brilliant idea for ‘Exactitudes’ was born in ’94, when Ari Versluis and Ellie Uyttenbroek documented the Gabbers of their hometown Rotterdam in a grid of 4×3 stunningly comparable portraits. The project has since grown into a global phenomenon, capturing the world’s style- and subcultures, from the ordinary to the extraordinary. The series were shown everywhere from magazines to museums and catalogues commissioned by Helmut Lang and Demna’s Balenciaga, as well as in their anthology book ‘Exactitudes’ that kept growing with each new edition. Back in 2018 Ari and Ellie created three superb series especially for Fantastic Man n° 27, seen here. (FYI, yours truly appears in one of them – second row, white roll neck.) Now, they have released the 7th and final instalment of their iconic body of work: 202 series, 440 pages, completely amazing, monumental.
Text by LEENDERT SONNEVELT
Photography by ARI VERSLUIS
Styling by ELLIE UYTTENBROEK
LEENDERT — The last edition of ‘Exactitudes’ has arrived. Why now? And how does it feel?
ELLIE — It was time! It feels sad in a way, but at the same time it’s a relief. Nothing has changed in this final edition except that it’s now taken the form of an old-school phone book; something I’ve been working toward all along.
ARI — We went from Analogue to Digital, from before to after the socials, entering a breakthrough cultural moment of prompting lifestyles and models. One could say a perfect moment in time to say goodbye to this method of research and documenting. The final edition is by far the best; it’s an art book with in-depth interviews with participants and more background information covering over three decades of making. Seven collectable editions of ‘Exactitudes’ – my lucky number!
L — The very first ‘Exactitudes’ series, Rotterdam’s Gabbers (“180 bpm in ecstasy”), is perhaps still the most well-known and most referenced one. Back in the early ’90s, did you have any idea where this would lead?
Actually, yes, we immediately knew that this methodology of documenting could be applied to other groups, and that more groups would lead to more meaning making. And that’s what we wanted.
We knew this vibrant Rotterdam hardcore scene would definitely be globally interesting. But what led to the dress code bible we’re releasing today is the urge to explore more and different subcultures. Back then, all I could do was hope we’d make it this far!
L — I recently spoke with someone who’d been asked to be part for one of your series, but declined because – at the time – they didn’t want to feel grouped or boxed in. What are your thoughts on that? In 2026, is it even possible to evade (sub)cultural similarity?
You could argue that the person in question already conformed to a group, otherwise we might not have been inquiring whether that person wanted to be portrayed, right? Complete escape from (sub)cultural similarity appears nearly impossible. However, closer observation reveals nuances and contradictions that complicate this assumption; fragmentations, misinterpretations, displacement, cultural diverse adaptations, fantastic translation errors, etc.
There has always been this tendency for people to think in boxes. But I usually see it differently: the people we feature are exactly the ones who stand out from the crowd with their style or identity. Being ‘original’ has always been a challenge, back then and now – but where there’s a will, there’s a way.
L — Leafing through the new edition, I realised it is possible to appear in more than one series, and some older cultures or style groupings have faded over time – perhaps evolved into something else. Do you think (sub)cultural style shifts occur faster or differently now than when you started out?
Yes, I think so. Given that fashion and lifestyle have become more accessible and visible thanks to fast fashion and social media, everything is within reach, and code-switching is easier than ever. But I’m happy/hopeful about the recent boom in the second-hand and vintage world. Lots of (young) people are finding their way, looking for their own unique style.
In our contemporary internet driven culture, social and subcultural identity is not that fixed – it’s constantly performed, curated and redefined. So there’s an online acceleration for sure, a faster love indeed. But the net is the net, the street is the street. The street wins, in my opinion, and sometimes shows a completely different paced story. A point of departure for observing social identity and style shifts that is as relevant as ever.
L — From ‘Casual Queers’ (1994) to ‘Common Complex’ (2018) and ‘F*ck Lacoste’ (2025), one of my favourite parts of the book is your titles and the style descriptions at the back. How do you come up with them? Any personal favourites?
Merci! It’s work in progress. First you makes notes from the conversation and the encounters during the making process. Then we sit down for a big creative writing moment based on notes and talks with the help of native English speakers that worked with us from the start. My favourite:
Nr. 089. Miss Shapes – London 2008 (A new gen of excited young lesbo-rebels comfortable in their skin. A moustached tattooed finger placed under the nose hails their sister in the know)
For me, the style descriptions are almost more fun than the images. We spend a long time on a series and end up meeting a lot of people from the scene we’re documenting. I take in everything I see and hear. Some of it goes straight into the text, and I add my own observations too. ‘Blaak’ is a personal favourite of mine. Normally, you’d go for the full jargon of this subculture of skaters, but I deliberately chose to add more humour and turn it into something almost like a formal, protective government text. A playful dig at how patronising things have become these days.
L — It’s safe to say that ‘Exactitudes’ is an iconic body of work and I’m aware how much energy has gone into the making of each series and how you personally connect with every single person in front of the camera. What has making ‘Exactitudes’ taught you about us as humans?
That every encounter was valuable, and that meeting each other and connecting across cultures makes life more beautiful.
Despite living in a individualistic society that encourages maximum self-care and self-development, people remain largely the same. The Self is therefore quite firmly anchored; so it might be more meaningful to focus on The Social Self for exciting and productive change. Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are, as the old saying goes…
‘Exactitudes, Final Edition’ by Ari Versluis & Ellie Uyttenbroek. Design by 75B, published by nai010 Publishers, 440p, 2.4kg, available in Dutch and English, ISBN 978-94-6208-959-4