Picture the scene: You’re at a club; you’ve had a few too many beers, and you’re dancing like John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever. The last thing you want is a photographer shoving his camera in your face, so you can see yourself in all your goofy glory on some party blog, the next day.

But if someone like London-based photographer Billa was taking your photo, you probably wouldn’t mind. A contributor to magazines like i-D, Vogue, and XLR8R, Billa is a key documenter of London’s colorful club-scene. One look through his Flickr webpage, and you’re transported into a world full of extravagant club kids and cross-dressing queens-- all in glorious Technicolor. A courier by day and photographer by night, Billa also recently shot the new cover for Super Super Magazine of singer Santogold.

psychoPEDIA grilled the photog about his love of bikes and fake Chanel goods:

What have you been up to lately on the photography front?
The main thing was being in the "3am Eternal exhibition alongside Wolfgang Tillmans, Nan Goldin and Mark Leckey, to name a few. Also, I just covered backstage for London Fashion Week for the British Fashion Council again.

Do you ever get bored of going to clubs?
That’s like saying, “Do I get tired of boozing?” I must admit, the clubs don’t seem as good as a few years back, but there are still a few that I enjoy a lot-- "Nuke Them All" being one of my favorites. What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever seen in a club?
I think the craziest thing I saw was at the last "Nuke Them All." A naked guy was swaying from side to side whilst stroking his huge schlong, all night long.

What's something about yourself you want the public to know that they might not know already?
I get rid of my hangovers by working as a cycle courier in the daytime.

Why are you so fanatical about bikes?
I hate public transport and find that having a bike is essential to living in London – there’s no hanging around and they’re quicker too. I was on the Tube the other day to pick my girlfriend up from the airport and the guy opposite was constantly grabbing his crotch whilst the man next to me was cleaning his ears with a bit of torn up newspaper. Need I say more?

What bikes do you own?
I own four bikes. In descending order of cost: the Eai Bareknuckle track bike (fixed gear) which I built up, the Iro Angus track bike (fixed)-- also built myself, the Azonic Steelhead Pro single speed (fixed), once again, built by myself, and then the pub bike, which I found without a front wheel around the corner from my house. Having had so many bikes stolen, I now only use the pub bike when venturing out on an evening.

What is your dream bike?
I’ve recently been looking for a Colnago 80's frame, so I can build a classic racer. There are too many fools riding around Shoreditch on fixed gears these days.

How did you first get into bikes?
I got into them seriously after seeing my first Tour de France on TV. After that, I got a cheapish racer and used to ride 400 miles a week on it when I lived in Wales. Then I got into mountain biking when I moved to London and started riding fixed gear bikes.

Are bikes more important to you than women?
Certainly not, but they’re definitely more reliable.

On a different note, how did you get into an obsession with fake Chanel?
I saw an old photo of Boy George wearing a fake T-shirt and I foolishly went into a Chanel shop and asked them, “Where are the T-shirts”?

Which fakes do you own?
My favourite is my original '80s fake white T shirt, with the Chanel logo screen-printed. It’s falling apart now, so it rarely sees the light of day. I just came back from holiday in Greece, where I got a cool belt for £10. Then there’s my Chanel necklace, which I made from some earrings I bought at a market a few years ago. I always love telling people my necklace is a fake when they tell me how nice it is. I also have a Chanel surgeon's mask, which I made from a scarf bought from petticoat lane market.

What’s your dream fake Chanel item?
A Chanel baseball cap from the '80s that I saw in a shop on Brick Lane. It’s £150. I always look when I’m on holiday, but I can never find it. I will be turning my Eai bike into a Chanel bike soon, as my friend who designs vinyl stickers is going to do some Chanel ones.

~Donald Crunk @ Styleslut


First photo by Donut Minni
Second & third photos by Billa
Fourth photo by Disconnec
Fifth photo by Taisau
Sixth photo via Velospace
Seventh photo, courtesy of Billa