I believe that fashion possesses immense power.

"The impetus for this SUPER BARNEYS PHOTO EXHIBITION came before Golden Week this year, when someone introduced me to BARNEYS NEW YORK. I visited the VIP room at the Shinjuku store for the first time and heard various stories about Barneys' history. Barneys,renovated its women's floor in Marchand recently renewed its men's floor, but they told me, 'We want to do something interesting, create something with a message, and leave it behind.' Several aspects of Barneys' hopes and dreams aligned with what I do, and I wanted to make it happen."

"As you can see from my work, I love photographing people. I wanted to use fashion as a spice to photograph people, skillfully employing it as an element to express the diversity of people, fashion, and the world around them."
"Just as I, a Singaporean, am in Japan, there are all sorts of people on Earth. The wonder and magic of photography can be a message, and perhaps a hint for life, but photography alone might not be enough. I believe that with fashion, it becomes a powerful force."

The Form of Diversity Lives Within Fashion

"While I have created 'Super Series' for a single brand before, creating one with various brands is new for me, and having people from different generations and fields wear them, mixing and matching various brands, is actually what I wanted to do most. This collaboration with Barneys is a luxurious endeavor, and I felt it was a great opportunity."
"It's natural for one person to mix and match various brands from different countries, from head to toe. This is exactly like diversity. The form of diversity lives within fashion."

"Since this is my first collaboration with Barneys, I wanted to include celebrities in the casting to reach a wider audience. For those in their 20s, there's Meisa Kuroki and Haruma Miura, who have long careers in entertainment; Hayato Nakamura, who is 19 and will carry the Kabuki world forward; and model CHIHARU, who appeared in Barneys' spring/summer campaign this year and gained attention for her Chanel campaign. From K-POP, I had the elegant K-POP group Supernova, who understand Japanese, express a part of the adult world."

It's Important for Creators to Do What They Haven't Seen Before

"The theme of this photo exhibition is 'LIFE IS A STAGE.' For example, a man lives by playing multiple roles: as a husband, a father, a member of society, and a professional. For this exhibition, a total of 22 individuals expressed two roles each. After meeting in the studio, they chose clothes, and we discussed. Some expressed on/off, some in/yang, some mode/bare face... Please imagine as you look at the photos."





"The most enjoyable to photograph was Mitsu Dan. Although it was my first time shooting her, her concentration was like that of a supermodel. Her professionalism was incredible, and she had great intuition. The fashion suited her, and we got great photos."
"Junichi Ishida was interesting photographically. Mr. Ishida came to the studio, silently looked at the clothes for 30 minutes, and then listened to the explanation. He chose a white shirt. Every time, after finishing the shoot, I line up the photos, and he looked at them, considering the balance. I thought, 'This person is calm and intelligent.' I fell for Junichi Ishida (laughs). Also, Hiroyuki Tomohiro is quite unique, isn't he? He's a Barneys customer, but this was an opportunity to photograph him."

"SUPER BARNEYS" is the most luxurious among the Super Series.

"Since this is the first project, I had new encounters, including people I've photographed before, people I'm shooting for the first time, and current stars. When I started shooting 'SUPER BARNEYS,' I immediately envisioned presenting the photos in a 6x6 square format, and I shot 22 pairs over two and a half months. This is the first time I've spent so much time on a single series, and it was incredibly luxurious."
"In 'SUPER BARNEYS,' I've included my photographs, Barneys' fashion, and the message of each individual in the photo book. This form of expression hasn't been done by anyone yet. It's important for creators to do what they haven't seen before."





"My message to the fans of Barneys is that this 'SUPER BARNEYS' is the most luxurious among the Super Series. I have always wanted to express diversity through fashion, and I am very happy to have been able to do so with BARNEYS NEW YORK."

LESLIE KEE
Never Stop Dreaming—Orphaned at a young age, he worked in a factory before coming to Japan, the land of dreams, to meet Yuming. After graduating from Tokyo Visual Arts, he debuted as a photographer. Once a youth with nothing, a minority, he photographed 300 Asian stars and 1000 people in Tokyo, disregarding profit, and drew 50,000 visitors to his exhibitions. Working globally in fashion, including in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and NY, he has continuously released works with strong impact and messages. He maintains close relationships with celebrities worldwide. Overcoming an arrest related to male nude photography, he continues to work energetically as a photographer who moves people with love and hope through his super-positive passion. He received the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award at the APA Awards 2012.


Photo Exhibition "SUPER BARNEYS PHOTO EXHIBITION"
BARNEYS NEW YORK Shinjuku Store
September 18 (Wed) - September 29 (Sun), 2013, 11:00 - 20:00
BARNEYS NEW YORK Yokohama Store
October 5 (Sat) - October 14 (Mon, Holiday), 2013, 11:00 - 20:00
BARNEYS NEW YORK Kobe Store
Scheduled for November 2013
http://www.barneys.co.jp/



Leslie Kee "SUPER Photographer" Cinematic Talk @ Cinemarise
To commemorate the release of "SUPER Photographer" (Asahi Shimbun Publishing, Idea Ink Series, Edited by Asahi Shimbun Publishing Ayame Nobushin + Sugatsuki Office Masanobu Sugatsuki), a one-night visual talk live event using the big screen of a movie theater will be held on Thursday, September 26, 2013, at Shibuya Cinemarise, featuring super-positive photographer Leslie Kee.
http://www.cinemarise.com/theater/archives/films/super.html