Designer Torsten Neeland shares his personal photographs from the set of his collaboration with Yohji Yamamoto’s Y’s in this exclusive gallery
“It was through my interest in photography that I initially discovered the work of Yohji Yamamoto” Torsten Neelson says, “via the mind-blowing fashion campaigns the brand created back in the late 80s with photographer Nick Knight and artistic director Marc Ascoli.” The designer’s own collaboration with Yamamoto’s Y’s brand, titled Urban Normads, features at London Design Festival from 13 September.
An installation built around a collection of products for retail and domestic environments, Urban Nomads celebrates affection we develop for objects in the face of the more transient lifestyles favoured in the digital age.
“Products can be about emotional attachments, yet fashion is very much about the mood and the moment.”
“The company proposed on this rare occasion to create a photo shoot incorporating the upcoming Y’s collection and Tosten Neeland products,” Torsten explains. As a fan of the Paris-based photographer’s work, Thomas Krappitz was a natural choice for Torsten: “I was sure he’d be able to capture the spirit of Y’s Yohji Yamamoto. His viewpoint and approach, from a fashion angle, was appealing to me, and to the Y’s Yohji Yamamoto team, who felt there was an authenticity and a reliability to his photography.”
This authenticity is documented by Torsten himself, who captured the behind-the-scenes action of the shoot, and the interaction of the photographer with the models. “It was clear to everyone invoked in the project that a fashion-meets-products photo shoot is not an easy task”, Torsten adds.The complexity in balancing the duality of the shoot came ultimately through the shared ethos of the brands: simplicity. “Everyone agreed on a very natural look; it was a productive and effortless shoot.”
“Products can be about emotional attachments, yet fashion is very much about the mood and the moment – the final results capture the calm mood” Torsten adds. His own images document the stages of achieving this result and the specialness of the project for its unexpected evolution, and challenges.
Images courtesy of Torsten Neeland
Urban Nomads runs at Yohji Yamamoto’s flagship store, 14-15 Conduit Street from 13-21 September
