A Bathing Ape (or BAPE ) is a Japanese clothing company founded by Tomoaki "Nigo" Nagao in 1993. The company specializes in street wear, operating stores in Japan, including BAPE, BAPE Store, Foot Soldier and the Bape Exclusive store (located in Aoyama, Tokyo). The company also operates Bape Cuts hair salon, Bape Café and gallery, Bape Sounds records. There are also stores located in Hong Kong, London, New York, Taipei, Los Angeles and coming soon to Singapore this December 2009. Nigo also founded the women's clothing lines "APEE", and "BAPY", the female "couture" clothing line.
Nigo, founder and owner, cites his mother and father, who were a nurse and a billboard maker respectively, as major influences in the development of his character. Though because they both worked, he spent a lot of time alone with toys. He also credits DJ/Head Porter designer Hiroshi Fujiwara as his business model. His nickname literally means "second version" in Japanese; the MD of Astoarobot, the fashion store, coined the moniker when he noted the physical resemblance to Fujiwara. Nigo cites his early influences as Elvis, The Beatles and hip-hop acts such as Run DMC and Woobens.
After studying fashion editing at college, he worked as an editor and a stylist for Popeye magazine. After borrowing four million yen from an acquaintance, who also let him use his shop, he opened "Nowhere", his first store, on April 1 , 1993 in Harajuku, Tokyo. Deciding to start his own brand, he named it after the 1968 film Planet of the Apes . According to Nigo, the name "BAPE" is short for "A Bathing Ape In Lukewarm Water". Japanese people typically have daily baths in water at temperatures above 40 degrees celsius (104°F). As such, bathing in luke warm water is to complacently over indulge. This is, ironically, a reference to the lazy opulence of the younger generation of Japanese, the brand's own customers. To expose the brand he gave T-shirts to Cornelius who wore them when performing. For two years he produced 30 to 50 shirts a week, selling half and giving half to friends. In 1997, Nigo released his debut album 'Ape Sounds' under Mo'Wax, with DJ/Producer James Lavelle of UNKLE. In January 2005, Nigo and Pharrell launched the first "Bathing Ape" store in New York. The official name, according to the salespeople at the store, is "A Bathing Ape in Lukewarm Water." Nigo is also co-owner and head designer of Williams' Billionaire Boys Club. In 2006, Nigo and N-Kei Enzaki started a record company, Ape Sounds, with help from James Lavelle, a UK DJ and owner of the Mo' Wax label. He serves as a producer and director for his CDs, blending Western hip-hop with Asian sounds. Lavelle wore a BAPE t-shirt on the cover his mix album Global Underground 023: Barcelona .
Celebrities known to wear BAPE include DJ Shadow, Ian Brown, Pharrell, Bartholomew, T.I., MC Jin, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Fabolous, Teriyaki Boyz, Mark Hoppus, Kanye West, Soulja Boy, Big Sean, Chris Brown, Omarion, Clipse, Adrian Orange, Ad-Rock, Benjamin English, Jake Marlowe, Big Bang, Kid Cudi, Maurice Edu Mitchel Musso and many others.
Price and Rarity
BAPE products tend to be very expensive, ranging at the very least in the 80-200 dollar retail price range for a pair of legitimate BAPE shoes or a shirt. Some of the earlier products by BAPE from 2005 and earlier (especially the camo hoodies) can commonly be found running on eBay for 300-500 dollars or more depending on the item and its rarity.
Stores
Store locations:
- Japan (18)
- Taipei
- Hong Kong
- New York City
- Los Angeles
- London
- Paris
Clothing Design
A Bathing Ape clothing is well recognized around the world due to its flashy design and original art, and expensive material. It often uses characters from popular media such as SpongeBob, Batman, Superman, kryptonite, Super Mario Brothers, Pokemon, Marvel characters, and Hello Kitty as well as original art such as Bape Monkeys, Baby Milo Monkey, Fast Food, The star Bapesta and Camo. It also cooperates with many other famous brands, such as Pepsi and M*A*C, and artists such as KAWS and Gary Panter. These patterns are used throughout the Bathing Ape range, on accessories, hoodies, jackets, t-shirts and Bapesta shoes.
References
- ^ Breaking Down Bapes TheHipHopIcon.com, 2007. Retrieved October 4, 2007
- ^ a b c d CNN TalkAsia Transcript 28 February, 2006. Retrieved June 28, 2007.
- ^ a b c Going BAPE Metropolis , 2003. Retrieved June 21, 2007
- ^ a b Nigo interview Pig Mag 24 May, 2005. Retrieved 21 June, 2007.
- ^ Kanye West, Pharrell, Mos Def Celebrate A Designer With Sole MTV.com Jan 12, 2005. Retrieved 21 June 2007.
- ^ Affleck and Trump lead a Bape Invasion on NYC BET.com Jan 14, 2005. Retrieved 21 June, 2007.
- ^ Kansai Scene Magazine :: Style
External links
- Official website
- Nigoldeneye website - Nigo's BAPE TV show with MTV Japan
- Asian Fashion:
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