The Tarnais at the end of the world: Japan in the eye of Castres Allan Abani

What do Mads Mikkelsen, Dua Lipa, Kylian Mbappé, DJ Snake and Billie Eilish? Apart from being international stars, all five of them have been photographed by Allan Abani. Having lived in Japan for seven years, the 33-year-old from Castres has made a name for himself in the posh world of fashion and portraits. “I shoot in various studios located in Tokyo, France and the United States depending on the projects,” lists the man who grew up in the Lardaillé district and went to art school.

“I like to go back to see my family and close friends, to recharge my batteries and remember where I came from. When I come back, I like to go to the same places I went to when I was just starting photography . I would really like to do an exhibition in Castres in the next two years.” Too small for her professional ambition, Allan left the Tarn sub-prefecture and went to Japan for two weeks in 2016 with one of her best friends.

Chanel, Nike, Vogue, Adidas, Louis Vuitton…

“I have always been attracted to this country, all those close to me will tell you. It started with manga when I was a kid, then drifting when I became a teenager, then their magnificent culture. After this stay I said that I was going to go back for a year and discover the country and it was during this year that my career took off.”

And what a career! “To name a few names known to the general public, I have worked with Chanel, Bulgari, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Vogue, Numéro, Rolling Stone, Elle, Nike, Adidas, Land Rover, Google… I never imagined having this career”, confides Allan, from Tokyo. He owes it to an old high school girlfriend.

“I had been drawing since I was very young. I remember going to art school but I quickly got tired of the classes. I acted like a clown in class to get myself excluded. I no longer had any interest for art after that until I met her. She had a camera that I started using very often and I discovered a new form of expression, which quickly fascinated me. At that time, I was working as an apprentice in a garage in Lagarrigue, I decided to buy my first camera and I gave myself ten years from that day to become an accomplished photographer.”

This is the case today, in a country where integration is not easy. “It is very difficult to find a place there. They have a very good image of France in general but between going to Japan for vacation and living there are two different stories. The language barrier is the biggest for me difficulty. I only knew a few words before arriving but I quickly realized that without speaking Japanese life here was going to be very complicated. I speak the language today but it’s still very basic Japanese. to have a Japanese wife as well as assistants who help me if necessary.”

“The people are so respectful, clean and organized that we quickly enter a sort of bubble, in the sense that you don’t need to be on your guard. The trains are on time, clean and everything everyone is waiting for the train in line. People don’t jostle and cut you off to get on the train before you.

In a few years, the Tarnais got used to Japanese life and culture faster than he imagined. “The people are so respectful, clean and organized that we quickly enter a sort of bubble, in the sense that you don’t need to be on your guard. The trains are on time, clean and everything everyone waits for the train in line People don’t jostle and cut you off to get on the train before you. There are always exceptions but this happens very rarely. The streets are clean too: I like it. wander around a lot and discover new places where I could “shooter”. I have my own little habits: I generally go to the same retro cafés (kissaten) for my meetings, I go to the same shops to have my photos developed and buy new equipment and I also often go to the same small traditional Japanese bars.”

In summary, in Japan, Allan Abani is living his dream life.