Photographer, David Gurzhiev
Twenty-three year old David Gurzhiev is creating a path of his own as a photographer. From growing up in Colorado to working with Aime Leon Dore, the young cameraman would not have expected to be where he is now. We had the privilege to talk with Gurzhiev for 40 minutes, via our Beyond the Garment Podcast, during which he explained his love for photography and talked about working at Aime Leon Dore.
Personal Life
Gurzhiev was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the city of Aurora. As a kid, he enjoyed being outside and playing backyard sports. Gurzhiev gravitated heavily towards the game of basketball. Basketball was one of the first activities that Gurzhiev obsessed over. In the podcast he told us about how he would go to his local sports card shop as a kid and talk to the store owner about Knicks legend Walt Frazier. The store owner and the youthful Gurzhiev would go back and forth about basketball legends like Frazier which is a testament to Gurzhiev’s passionate study of the sport. The community in which Gurzhiev grew up had a huge influence on his life. In his neighborhood, there were kids with multiple backgrounds and nationalities, which helped Gurzhiev understand different cultures. Starting from a young age, he developed this appreciation for others and that helped him build friendships and relationships as he grew up. Gurzhiev’s devoted nature from basketball trickled over to photography as he matured.
Why Photography
One of the initial moments that Gurzhiev started paying attention to photography was when he was shown old family photos. To him, there was just something about looking at his family's captured memories that sparked an interest in photography for him. Once that spark ignited, he never looked back. In high school, he was given his first camera, and that is when he began to study the art form. Through practice and dedication to his craft, Gurzhiev developed his skills. He eventually moved to New York and studied photography for a year at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Over the course of his photographic journey, he continued to learn and develop his skills. In 2019, he pursued opportunities with various New York-based brands and landed a spot with up and coming brand Aime Leon Dore in Queens.
Working for Aime Leon Dore
Gurzhiev started as a sales associate at Aime Leon Dore. He was eventually promoted and placed on the company’s editorial team, which is an incredible feat for being so young in his career. One of our favorite parts of the podcast is when Gurzhiev tells his story about working on the New Balance 992 and the New Balance 990 V5 campaign. Gurzhiev was a part of the team that shot, filmed, and created the graphics for the campaign. Overall, he describes his experience as pleasant at Aime Leon Dore. He spoke emphatically about all the amazing directors, photographers, and videographers that he has worked with and works with. We can not wait to see how Gurzhiev’s role continues to evolve with the company.
Final thoughts
It was a pleasure to have Gurzhiev on the podcast. If you would like to listen to our conversation or learn more about his works, all the contents of that information is linked below.
Podcast Links
Apple:
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/00ABj0HFWkGc8odFYKjab0
David Gurzhiev’s Links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidgurzhiev/?hl=en
Website: https://www.davidgurzhiev.com/