Leica Camera, “A BATHING APE” and Stash have collaborated on a limited-edition camera, merging industry-leading technology with a chic, urban aesthetic. The Leica D-Lux 7 “A BATHING APE®︎ X STASH” is offered in two variations, with a black-finish version sold exclusively through Leica stores, and a silver-finish version only available through streetwear brand, A BATHING APE®︎. Each version features the signature ABC CAMO look of BAPE® covering the camera body, the brand’s APE HEAD insignia, and the distinctive wild style tag of American graffiti artist, STASH.
This special-edition camera combines the creative energies of A BATHING APE®︎, STASH and Leica Camera, serving to inspire creative perspectives with its unique aesthetic. Photography has always been used to document both street art and street fashion – now the Leica D-Lux 7 “A BATHING APE®︎ X STASH” is a tangible manifestation of this connective link.
“When I started doing graffiti in the early 1980s, the term ‘street art’ didn’t exist. 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,” STASH recalls, who recognizes many parallels between the three art forms. “They are visual, based on color, 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.”
When designing the limited special edition of the Leica D-Lux 7, the Brooklyn-based artist incorporated both the famously graphic-heavy style of the BAPE® label, and his own distinctive visual approach.
The Leica D-Lux 7 “A BATHING APE®︎ X STASH” offers the same technical specifications as the serial production model, including a 17 megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor capable of delivering 4K 30fps and full-HD 60fps videos, a fast 24–75mm (35mm camera equivalent) zoom lens with optical image stabilization, and an aperture range of f/1.7–2.8 to deliver outstanding images, anytime, anyplace. The black-finish Leica D-Lux 7 “A BATHING APE®︎ X STASH” retails at $1,895, and comes with an additional carrying strap, a specially designed camera pouch, and an auto lens cap that opens and closes as the lens retracts and extends.
To mark the launch of the limited-edition Leica D-Lux 7, a selection of photographs by STASH will be presented in a special exhibition at Leica Store Los Angeles.
To learn more about this collaboration, visit here