Keisuke Nagoshi


 

We launched Sonder Supplies in the Autumn of 2019 with the vision to expose new and emerging menswear brands to the global market. These brands have a story to tell whether it be through their design process, cultural history or core values. 

- Radiall Lookbook (2019)

Radiall was first featured in our Spring/Summer 2020 line up. At the end of 2019 we met with some of the creative minds behind the brand and quickly discovered we shared a like-minded vision – a passion for our craft, where the attention to detail and quality of construction in each piece is just part of its significance. Radiall’s close-knit collaborations create a shared story, celebrating cultures, customs, and people.

Keisuke Nagoshi is a photographer who Radiall has worked with closely for the last few seasons. They are drawn to his unique ‘fly on the wall’ style. His photos have a sense of the gritty real world, and a single image can speak a thousand words about their subject. For SS20, Radiall again teamed up with Nagoshi for their lookbook and celebrated their continuing partnership through the Boulevard T-shirt

 

- Chicano (2009)

Who is Keisuke Nagoshi?

Nagoshi was born in 1977 in Nara, Japan. In his early teenage years, he left Japan to explore cultures that piqued his interests, taking him from Mexico through the United States to Canada, and then later to other Asian countries. During his time in America, he spent many months living with squatters, voicing their way of life through his photos;  he believes the only way to really capture the subject is to immerse yourself in the way they live. His unique style has allowed him to venture into many unfamiliar walks of life, from Mexican gangs in Los Angeles through to homeless scavengers in the slums of Manila.

In 2017, Nagoshi won a Photo Society Award for his personal published photo collections. "SMOKEY MOUNTAIN", "CHICANO", "BLUE FIRE" and his most recent project, "Familia Homi Danchi". This is a collection of photos shot over three years that records the lifestyles, culture and emotions of many of the 3,000 Japanese-Brazilian residents of the Homi Projects in Toyota City.

 

 

- Familia Homi Danchi (2017)

Vice Japan published "Familia Homi Danchi" in 2017 with this accompanying visual documentary that follows Nagoshi through a short period of his time spent living among the residents of the Homi Projects. It gives you a great insight into how he goes about familiarising himself with his subjects in their own environment. (Subtitles available)

For nearly 20 years, Nagoshi has been publishing his work through the narrative of his own photo books. A tiny glimpse into some of his images can be found on his Instagram (@keisuke_nagoshi), but to appreciate his work to it's the full extent it is imperative to see it in print. A quick search online should point you in the direction of where you can get your hands on his material. There is a chance you will have come across his work before, with features in EyeScream, Dazed & Confused, Vice (Japan & NY) and WWD, to name just a few.

- Chicano (2009)

- Excuse Me (2006)

 

- Smokey Mountain (2011)

Radiall x Keisuke Nagoshi

Looking through Nagoshi's work we can see why it caught the eye of Radiall's owner and creative director Yoichi Takayama, the charm, emotion and story in each photo decorates the subject with a realistic, unaltered approach, something that resonates strongly with Radiall as a brand. We spoke with Takayama about the image used on the Boulevard Tee; he explained that it caught his attention when he was looking through some of Nagoshi's work while shooting their AW19 lookbook. The photo shows a '63 Impala low rider, illuminated by the nightlights of a Californian boulevard. If you weren't already aware, Takayama is a massive hot rod and lowrider enthusiast, and there is nothing more iconic in the lowrider scene than the taillights of 60's Impala.

If you, like us, have developed quite a fond passion for all things Radiall then this really is a commemorative piece that celebrates a massive part of what the brand is about, bringing cultures and communities together. This may have been the first time we have seen some of Nagoshi's work on the brand's garments, but we are sure it will not be the last.

 

The Radiall x Keisuke Nagoshi Boulevard Tee is available to purchase online now on Sonder Supplies, and if you needed some extra pre-purchase trivia, they are the GPS coordinates of the exact location of where this shot happened. Boot up Google Maps and go geek out!

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