Leica's Limited Edition D-Lux 7 in Collaboration with A Bathing Ape® and STASH
Hitting the Streets with Style: Street Photography, Streetwear, and Street Art Collide with the Leica D Lux 7 "A BATHING APE® X STASH"
Step into the heart of urban creativity with the Leica D Lux 7 "A BATHING APE® X STASH". This special edition compact camera brings together three powerhouses of street culture - Leica, BAPE, and artist Stash.
City of Chic and Culture
BAPE, based in Tokyo, brings a fresh twist on urban style from the Japanese capital. The city is a melting pot of traditional and modern elements, and BAPE's bold designs have become synonymous with Japanese street fashion, inspiring trends worldwide.
New York City, too, has a rich history of street art that has shaped global urban aesthetics. Artists like Stash, with his unique stencil work and graffiti, have left their mark on the Big Apple's vibrant street art scene.
Wetzlar, Germany, home to Leica for over a century, is the city of optical engineering and camera design. The creative energies from Tokyo and New York came together in this German city to create a one-of-a-kind limited edition compact camera like no other.
The meeting of these three cities and their distinctive cultural influences has led to the birth of this innovative camera. Street photography, streetwear, and street art have always been intertwined, with photography playing a crucial role in documenting both street fashion and art.
Art Meets Technology
The creation of the Leica D Lux 7 was entrusted to artist Stash, who seamlessly blends the famously graphic-heavy style of BAPE with his own distinctive visual approach. The collaboration between Leica and Stash is marked by the special edition's signature ABC CAMO look from BAPE, and Stash's APE HEAD insignia—adorned with graffiti artist STASH's iconic wildstyle design.
Photographing the Urban Jungle
To celebrate the launch of the limited-edition Leica D-Lux 7, a special exhibition of photographs by Stash will be presented at the Leica Store Los Angeles. "When I started doing graffiti in the early 1980s," says Stash, "the term 'street art' did not exist. But our anonymity in subway tunnels and train stations soon made us more visible. Documenting my art through photography has always been an essential part of my creativity, and with the advent of digital cameras, I got my first Leica."
Stash recognizes the parallels between the three art forms, stating, "They are visual, based on color, form, and expressive freedom. I think they are strongly youth-driven, and there's so much creativity between them that one feeds into the other to help complete the story."
Tech Specs
The Leica D-Lux 7 "A BATHING APE® X STASH" model boasts the same technical specifications as the standard version. It features a Micro Four Thirds sensor and a fast zoom lens with optical image stabilization, offering focal lengths between 24-75mm (equivalent to a 35mm camera) with an aperture range of f/1.7-2.8. The lens utilizes a central portion of the sensor (producing over 21 million pixels), thereby ensuring high-quality images. The camera's sensor also enables 4K 30fps and full-HD 60fps videos. The special edition comes with an extra carrying strap, a specially designed camera pouch, and an auto lens cap that opens and closes with the lens.
Own the Urban Legend
The black-finish Leica D-Lux 7 "A BATHING APE® X STASH" is now available for purchase for £1,750.00. Seize the opportunity to blend street photography, streetwear, and street art and make a bold statement with this one-of-a-kind limited edition camera.
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Noteworthy History and Cultural Impact
To truly understand the significance of the collaboration between Leica, BAPE, and Stash, it's essential to explore each element's rich history and cultural impact in the realms of photography, street fashion, and urban art.
Leica's Rich HeritageLeica, formally known as Leitz Camera, dates back to 1849 when Carl Kellner founded the Optisches Institut in Wetzlar, Germany. Over the years, Leica gained a reputation for producing high-quality optical instruments and cameras, including the revolutionary Leica I, introduced in 1925 and popularizing the use of 35mm film, thereby significantly impacting street photography, urban aesthetics, and the ease of photography itself.
Tokyo's Urban Street StyleTokyo's vivid and eclectic street style is a blend of traditional and modern elements. Iconic brands like BAPE have emerged from this scene, known for their vibrant designs and streetwear influence. Founded by Nigo in 1993, BAPE symbolizes Japanese street fashion, capturing the imagination of people worldwide. The synergy between Leica and BAPE reflects the fusion of high-end technology with a streetwear ethos.
New York's Street Art LegacyNew York City boasts a long history of vibrant street art that has powerfully influenced global urban culture. Artists such as Stash have contributed to this legacy, known for their stencil work and graffiti art. The collaboration between Leica, BAPE, and Stash exemplifies the intersection of art, technology, and fashion, exemplifying the broader trend of street aesthetics shaping high-end products.
A Collaboration Like No OtherThe Leica D Lux 7 collaboration between Leica, BAPE, and Stash is emblematic of the fusion of these essential elements:
- Leica's Ingenuity: Provides the technical foundation and high-quality camera technology.
- BAPE's Style and Cultural Relevance: Adds a layer of streetwear chic and helps the product reverberate with the spirit of urban culture.
- Stash's Artistry: Brings a unique visual identity, blending street art aesthetics with the product design, creating an innovative and stylish end product that pays homage to the dynamic relationship between art, technology, and fashion.
This collaboration showcases how different cultural and artistic influences can come together to create pioneering and fashionable products, epitomizing the dynamic interplay between technology, fashion, and art. In essence, the merging of Wetzlar's technical precision, Tokyo's urban flair, and New York's street art vibrancy culminates in a product that celebrates the overlap of art, technology, and fashion.
The Leica D Lux 7 collaboration between Leica, BAPE, and graffiti artist Stash has seamlessly combined cutting-edge technology and street fashion trends with urban art designs, creating a unique blend that typifies the fusion of art, technology, and culture. Smartphones and other gadgets, often tied to digital photography, can be seen documenting this intersection of street photography, streetwear, and street art on the streets of New York City and Tokyo, mirroring the D Lux 7's innovative style.
Stash's signature wildstyle design adorning the APE HEAD insignia of the Leica D Lux 7 "A BATHING APE® X STASH" is a testament to the powerful impact of urban aesthetics on high-end technology products, much like the way street art has influenced cityscapes worldwide.
