You may have come across the famous Comme des Garçons campaigns shot in New York in the mid-90s, but get to know the street photographer behind them.
Japanese photographer Keizō Kitajima is known globally for his urban street shots, capturing local city dwellers as they roam the streets of Tokyo, New York and Eastern Europe. With his confrontational style, his work still stands as snapshots of humanity and simplicity to this day.
Kitajima is a leading figure in 20th century Japanese photography who has published multiple photobooks, has been featured in many exhibitions and has won numerous awards through the years – his work ranging from capturing protests of a United States Airforce base in Okinawa, Japan and its effects on the local community to unpolished street shots in NYC and his 1979 experimental series of Shunjuku’s nightlife “Photo Express”.
His gritty aesthetic was the foundation for his collaboration with Comme des Garçons’ Rei Kawakubo. Kawakubo’s deconstructionist style met Kitajima’s unpolished philosophy of everyday life in a city – resulting in beautiful, raw shots that married Comme des Garçons’ and Kitajima’s unique aesthetics. It’s always interesting to see a non-fashion photographer shoot a fashion campaign, as the images have an authentic look that doesn’t necessarily capture the clothes but the essence of his subjects in the clothes.
All featured images by Keizō Kitajima
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