BAPE bring street style and high fashion to Leica's timeless technological brilliance

There’s not much that cult Japanese streetwear brand A BATHING APE can’t transform into a fashion must-have with some judicious application of their trademark camo patterns. 

The company, founded in 1993, prides itself in its collabs, which have run the gamut from brands like Carhartt to Herman Miller and Supreme, taking in trainers, Pepsi bottles, and T-shirts along the way.

Their newest partnership is with Leica, still one of the most desirable camera brands on the planet. Working alongside American artist STASH, aka Josh Franklin, the Tokyo-based company has given the D-Lux 7 the magic ape makeover with a swathe of ABC CAMO pattern on the body of this retro-styled classic.

The D-Lux 7 is the latest version of Leica’s acclaimed digital compact camera, a solid-feeling piece of engineering that encourages creative focus in the endless hunt for the perfect shot. The Micro Four Thirds sensor is paired with a fast zoom lens and a 21-megapixel sensor, capable of shooting 60fps HD video.

BAPE make a link between the graffiti-infused, urban-approved clothing and sneaker styles they’re famed for and Leica’s long-standing status as the ultimate street photography tool. Franklin is a New York-based graffiti artist who swapped out-of-sight spots for more public work, and it’s his STASH tag that graces the lens cap (the New Yorker is a long-term Leica user).

Granted, there’s a whiff of gratuitous East London-style fashion absurdity about the whole enterprise, but Leica quality can’t be faulted, nor can the calibre of BAPE’s ability to snare a timely collaboration. Available in black (sold only by Leica) and silver (available exclusively via A BATHING APE®), this camera is the apotheosis of contemporary creative culture

The Leica D-Lux 7 “A BATHING APE® X STASH” is priced at £1,750.

This article is part of The T3 Edit, a collaboration between T3 and Wallpaper* which explores the very best blends of design, craft, and technology. Wallpaper* magazine is the world’s leading authority on contemporary design and The T3 Edit is your essential guide to what’s new and what’s next.