Photographer & Creative Director
Tell us a little about yourself and how you are involved with KATO.
My name is Anthony - I am a photographer and freelance creative director based in Orange County, CA. I was originally born and raised in Hong Kong and in my early 20's moved over to the United States. At KATO I'm the guy that takes the photos and shoots the videos and I also assist their marketing team.
How and when did you get into photography?
I started taking photos when I was around 12 with my dad's old film camera. It's always been something I've been drawn towards and eventually brought me into filmmaking. I was never great academically in school so I always put myself headfirst into anything creative. My parents were both very encouraging as well in helping me develop my skills which made it an even better experience.
How did you become a commercial photographer and graphic designer?
I completed my BFA in Photography in San Francisco during which I also learned a lot of graphic design. I had a few jobs after I graduated that eventually grew into a small freelance client base - for some clients I did photography, for others I did advertising and graphic design. This grew into a multi service offering that brought on bigger and bigger projects and eventually pushed me to set up a business with my wife, Alexis.
What can inspire you as a photographer?
What I am inspired by is always changing. Sometimes it's music, films, or even other photographers. Over the last few years I've been more inspired by cinema than still images because they are a series of images that are pieced together to tell a story. My biggest inspirations (2 Cinematographers) are Emmanuel Lubezki and Roger Deakins.
What goes through your mind while capturing KATO’s production? (ex. Showing texture, atmosphere… etc)
I know there are 2 important things I try to portray when photographing KATO. There is the handcrafted, American made and no detail missed part and the part that focuses on creating pieces you can wear over and over again - whether it's 2015 or 2025, their pieces are timeless. It's hard to appreciate something like Japanese denim over the internet or even a nicely produced photograph - where you can't touch it or feel the texture so I try my best to show that visually. Nothing beats the real thing - like wearing KATO in person, but I think showing how cool you'll look in KATO is a close second.
What do you like about KATO?
I love the quality and attention to detail that is put into each product KATO puts out. I've been working with the team at KATO for 4 years now and I've never collaborated with a harder working, dedicated and passionate team. There is something great that is created when true passion is involved in the process and I think that is a testament to the quality of product they have as well as the people behind the brand. No one knows how much work, dedication and time is spent developing these products season after season yet they remain as passionate as they have from day one. As far as the actual product goes, I wear my KATO jeans all the time. I ride my motorcycle everywhere wearing KATO and you can really feel that 4-way stretch at work. I've ridden through the rain, through the SoCal desert and down to my local grocery store in KATO jeans and they never let me down.
