MALLET linked up with East London grime figure D Double E for a new editorial photographed by emerging fashion and fine-art photographer Luke Pickering. The shoot leaves D Double E to do what he has always done best: move on his own terms. He styled himself, stepped in front of the camera and brought the same quiet confidence that has defined his presence across decades of British music and culture.
A Voice Born in Forest Gate
Born in Forest Gate, D Double E has been part of East London’s musical fabric since before grime has even settled on its name. As a founding member of Newham Generals alongside Footsie, he helped shape the sound and attitude of a scene that would eventually travel far beyond London. Tracks including “Street Fighter Riddim”, “Bluku Bluku”, “Jackuum” and “Double Or Nothing” have become part of his story, while collaborations with Kano, Skepta and A$AP Nast have taken that voice into different corners of British and international music.
His influence stretches well beyond his own catalogue. Skepta has described D Double E as one of the greatest, while Dizzee Rascal credited him as one of the artists who inspired him to become an MC. Those connections help explain why his presence still carries weight decades after he first emerged from East London’s pirate-radio and grime ecosystem.
East London, Without the Filter
MALLET and D Double E meet on familiar ground, with the campaign using East London not simply as a backdrop but as the thread connecting music, fashion and identity. The images keep things stripped back, placing D Double E in dark, minimalist silhouettes and allowing his character and the footwear to carry the story.
The footwear comes from MALLET’s AW26 collection, with D Double E wearing The Alton and The Fenchurch.
From Forest Gate to MALLET: D Double E Brings East London to Life
