The latest release from Leica brand hones in on the immediate gratification of street photography, and its intractable ties to streetwear and street art. The trio of concepts collide in a limited-edition compact camera: the Leica D-Lux 7 ‘A Bathing Ape x Stash’. The collaboration sees BAPE’s signature ABC Camo design cover the body of the camera, while the brand’s Ape head insignia rests atop it. The retractable lens covering is marked by the tag of American graffiti artist Stash.
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The collaboration also marks the unity of three distinct cultural hubs. Streetwear label BAPE brings Tokyo’s urban streetstyle into the fray with its contemporary designs, while in New York, street-art legend Stash (aka Josh Franklin) has been instrumental in creating a new artistic genre, shifting his creaitions from the anonymity of subway tunnels into the public eye. The two creative forces unite in Leica’s home city of Wetzlar, Germany, a locale that’s come almost synonymous with the art of optical engineering and camera design.
Acting as a tangible manifestation of the link between photography, street fashion, and street art, the Leica D-Lux 7 ‘A Bathing Ape x Stash’ is a piece of equipment that, in itself, is begging to be photographed.
“When I started doing graffiti in the early 1980s, the term ‘street art’ didn’t exist,” recalls Brooklyn-based artist Stash. “It was only later, when we emerged from the tunnels and train stations, that we became much more visible. Documenting my art through photography has always been part of my creativity. With the advent of digital cameras, I got my first Leica. They are visual, based on colour, form and expressive freedom. I think they are strongly youth-driven, and there is so much creativity between them that one feeds into the other to help complete the story.”
The Leica D-Lux 7 ‘A Bathing Ape x Stash’ offers the same technical specifications as the standard series model, including the large Micro Four Thirds sensor, as well as the fast zoom lens with optical image stabilisation which covers focal lengths from 24–75 mm (35 mm camera equivalent) and has an aperture range of f/1.7–2.8. To achieve the effective resolution of 17 megapixels, the lens utilises a central portion of the sensor, resulting in an even higher image quality.
To mark the launch of the limited-edition Leica D-Lux 7 ‘A Bathing Ape x Stash’, a selection of photographs by Stash will be exhibited at the Leica store in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, on our shores, a camera is up for grabs in a competition held by the Leica store in Australia. Enter below.
Words by Theo Rosen
