Kevin Amato on getting Cozy in the Bronx

New York born and bred photographer Kevin Amato is really proud of his hometown (the Bronx), so much so that he's decided to immortalise it with his very first photobook, aptly titled Cozy. The title itself is a nod to the comfort he feels from one of NYC’s most notorious boroughs, and the pages are filled with a curation of images from “Friends, street castings, celebrities, lovers...”. A compilation of almost 10 years worth of personal and professional work, the photographer has also teamed up with some of the hottest designers-cum-artists; Hood by Air, Cassette Playa and Mykki Blanco, alongside others, to create a selection of all things, well, Cozy – blankets, boxer shorts and jumpers included. Below, Amato gives us a run down on the project ahead of the book’s UK launch on Friday, alongside a selection of exclusive images.

Could you tell the readers some more about your new photobook Cozy?

Kevin Amato: It's my first book, a compilation of almost 10 years of personal work.. with bits of commercial work. It was my friends and colleagues that really pushed the idea on me. Photography and art books in general seemed too irrelevant or were inaccessible to a whole younger generation of creatives.

The book’s influenced by life in the Bronx, how have you documented this?

Kevin Amato: The Bronx is pure..uninhibited and overlooked. Preserved by generations of culture and family tradition. It's timeless and tribal.

Could you explain the title? It's almost the opposite of how some of the photos feel… 

Kevin Amato: #Cozy is being content.. good vibes... Being so comfortable that you just don't give a fuck much.

What's the most interesting thing that you’ve learnt from this journey?

Kevin Amato: Gaining the trust and access into people's lives and homes is what I find most interesting. People interest me.  I think the sum of it all is that we all walk the same journey – we all want to be acknowledged.

The book coincides with a capsule collection that you've collaborated on with brands and people like HBA, Cassette Playa and Mykki Blanco, to name a few – how do you feel fashion informs your work, even if you're not putting it out there in an obvious way? 

Kevin Amato: Fashion is the new wave.. It's similar to the impact 1970s music culture had on the "art". Like Warhol and the Velvet Underground, or [Keith] Haring and hip-hop culture. One informs the other.

Lastly, the names that you've collaborated with on the capsule collection are some of the biggest names in the underground and street wear scene, could you tell us how these collaborations have come about?

Kevin Amato: Pure support.

Cozy will be in stores globally, and launching in Selfridges’ contemporary menswear department on Friday 17th October, 2014. For more information check out Amato’s website here.