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Many of BAPE’s early designs are extremely coveted today, with older pieces routinely fetching between three and four figures on auction sites and at resale stores. Among some of the rarer items are any early to mid-1990s pre-BAPE tag T-shirts, printed onto beefy blanks—complete with Hanes or Oneita neck labels. Products such as the Supreme x BAPE blue camo box logo T-shirt from ‘98 will set you back around $10,000 USD on Grailed, whereas ‘90s camo field jackets sell for around the $300–$500 mark.
Behind the BAPE Camo Print
BAPE's signature "ape" logo and "BAPE camouflage" design have graced too many Hip-Hop music videos to count, and the brand is still worn and rapped about today. So, how did a small start-up from Japan grow into one of the most recognizable streetwear brands in the world? Alongside a handful of items like the Bapesta, camo outerwear and legendary lifestyle products, the BAPE Shark hoodie is probably one of the most iconic garments in A Bathing Ape history. First released in 2004, its outlandish design and slew of unique details really pushed that idea of BAPE as offering something that you couldn’t get anywhere else. BAPE’s expansion as a lifestyle brand reached a peak in 2002, with the opening of BAPE CAFE?! Bringing together NIGO’s passions for dining and design, the restaurant was nestled between the popular Harajuku and Sendagaya shopping districts, and featured ape head tables with camo-upholstered stools.
Bape 30th Anniversary London Collection - HYPEBEAST
Bape 30th Anniversary London Collection.
Posted: Thu, 24 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
A Bathing Ape Today
In 1997, BAPE launched Very Ape, a capsule of printed T-shirts made in the UK that was sold at hip London boutiques like Slam City Skates, and subsequently seen on the likes of Ad-Rock from the Beastie Boys. With its Nirvana-referencing graphics, the collection played an important role in marketing BAPE in the UK, as up until then it had been hard to obtain via imports, and this direction eventually culminated in the first London BAPE store in 2002. In the mid-to-late 2000s, as BAPE’s global appeal was reaching unprecedented new heights, the brand issued BAPE’s kids line. For “8 Minutes and 20 Seconds,” Aubel incorporated solar design and technology to encourage more everyday synergy with the natural environment. Her installation, which was named after the time it takes light to reach the Earth from the sun, reimagined the LF-ZC among holographic trees.
BAPE Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary With SS23 Collection
Be warned, however; the risk of buying counterfeit product from an unofficial seller is as real as ever, but there are comprehensive guides on how to identify fakes available with a simple Google search. If you’re not an expert on BAPE product (and to be honest, even if you are), take the time to learn what you’re buying and save yourself the hassle of opening up a package full of fake garments bought from some sketchy BAPE Online Discount Bargain Super Value Outlet. One of the hardest parts of buying BAPE online in the early ’00s was the lack of official or reputable outlets on the Internet, making it a much bigger gamble grabbing pieces off of eBay or online forums.
It was a long time before the brands would meet again in 2011, but the significance of the first BAPE x adidas Originals releases shouldn’t’ be underestimated. In 2003 the idea of a sportswear brand collaborating with anything other than an athlete was virtually unheard of in the west. Having only just launched in 2001, adidas Originals dared to join forces with another brand under the powerful mantra of ‘The Respect is Mutual’ and do something completely different. The idea of a collaboration first came to light in the early ’00s when Nigo was introduced to adidas brand consultant, and founder of adidas Spezial, Gary Aspden through Stone Roses singer and notorious BAPE head Ian Brown. Over the years BAPE have released their own-brand fishing gear, transformers dolls, condoms and even toilet roll, but the moment you put an object in camo, it’s no longer simply an object.
An In-Depth Look at A Bathing Ape (BAPE)
Because imports were the only way most western consumers could get their hands on ape gear, the desirability of the brand only increased. Perhaps the most iconic style on the BAPE roster, the BAPE STA™ (named after the striking star emblem across each side of the upper) is still turning heads since its initial 2000 release. The low-top sneaker’s overall design has spawned its own rich legacy thanks to the brand’s use of bold tones and premium materials, and was instrumental in the meteoric rise of BAPE in the mid-2000s. Among the hundreds of color variations released, perhaps the most coveted is the 2007 collaboration with Kanye West. Conceptualized as a true celebration of the enduring collaboration between BAPE® and adidas, no detail has been overlooked.
BAPE x Adidas Campus 80 Collaboration Release Info - HYPEBEAST
BAPE x Adidas Campus 80 Collaboration Release Info.
Posted: Mon, 26 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Designed by Sk8thing, the famous Cloud Camo print has featured on everything from field jackets to toilet rolls and is still one of the most well-known symbols of the brand today. The pattern was inspired by the traditional US duck hunter camouflage and is regularly given alternate bright color schemes in the vein of pop artist and NIGO idol Andy Warhol. Since the debut of that so-called 1st Camo, the brand has released its own spin on various other classic military and hunting patterns, including the tribal-style ASAT print, and Russian Berezka-style digi camo. A special SHARK SEIJIN display reinterprets the brand’s iconic house codes, and three sculptures from artist Arkiv Vilmansa highlight classic BAPE® elements, all paying tribute to the brand’s roots as a disruptive and trailblazing brand. The hoodie’s distinctive ‘shark’ design on the hood is actually taken from military artwork that would be placed on the nose of fighter planes or even the hulls of battleships.
However, the brand was still hard to get in the country because there were no American retailers for BAPE. Nigo started off on a shoestring budget and could only afford to create about 50 T-shirts a week, which may have been the original cause of BAPE's scarcity, but he also didn't like the concept of everyone wearing the same item. Through connections to the International Stüssy Tribe and James Lavelle of UNKLE & Mo'Wax records, BAPE became known as a cultural tastemaker in Tokyo and a well-kept secret in international circles. Someone's friend would visit Japan, bring back some clothing and magazines, and the buzz would gradually spread through word of mouth. BAPE’s 31st-anniversary tee capsule will be released on April 13 in-store and online at BAPE.
BAPE GALLERY™’s first stop in Beijing will see the debut of the (B)APETAVERSE exclusive limited collection, inspired by the ape-verse established in 2022. With hoodies, sweats, long-sleeved and short- sleeved t-shirts, the capsule captures 3D digital works in physical form, making for an out-of-this-world collection that bridges the virtual with the physical world. The body is washed with gourd-shaped quilt stitching, "monkey" on the left chest, "APE FACE" on the right chest, and embroidered monkey and letter graphics on both arms and back. The item is lined with a bright blue camo pattern and is full of attention to detail. Though the BAPE Shark Hoodie is a lot easier to get hold of today than it was when it first released, it remains a coveted piece of streetwear history for a number of reasons.
Indonesian contemporary artist Arkiv Vilmansa’s iconic cartoon-inspired paintings emphasize two- dimensional forms through bold outlines with vivid and vibrant colors. Traditionally trained as an architect, Vilmansa’s structured and critical methodology contrast with his raw and unrestrained artistic expression. Through a self-developed formula that controls painting surfaces and paint texture, Vilmansa’s pop cultured-inspired works explore non-figurative art and cartoon character paintings through the use of color, organic shapes and canvas shapes. His use of colors, shapes, and lines are influenced by creative industry leaders Takashi Murakami and NIGO.
The hoodie's distinctive shark motif on the hood is inspired by military artwork that would be found on the noses of fighter jets or even the hulls of battleships. While the initial BAPE Shark hoodie was a plain block color with a half-woodland camo hood, later variants would integrate various Bape insignias, such as BAPE Camo, the Bapesta Star, and the brand's unique plaid pattern. In 2011, Nigo sold BAPE but remained the creative director for the brand until 2013. Despite Nigo's departure, the brand is still alive, worn, and celebrated in Hip-Hop culture. New pieces are still created, and many of BAPE's archived pieces sell for large amounts of money.
In conclusion, A Bathing Ape is a Japanese streetwear brand known for its unique designs, oversized fits, and iconic ape head logo. The brand's origins are deeply rooted in Japanese street fashion and American hip-hop, and its designs are heavily influenced by pop culture. BAPE has gained a massive following worldwide due to its limited edition drops and collaborations with various artists.
Fascinated with hip-hop in his teens, Nigo was drawn towards Tokyo’s vibrant nightlife and club scene. Once he had fashioned a collection of vinyl records and purchased turntables, he began DJing in Tokyo clubs, before producing for Japanese hip-hop group, the Teriyaki Boyz. Afterwards, Nigo studied at Tokyo’s famous Bunka Fashion College, while working as an editor at Popeye Magazine. “8 Minutes and 20 Seconds” was constantly changing, in reference to the ever-evolving nature of electric technologies.
Along with the Bapesta, camo outerwear, and renowned lifestyle pieces, the BAPE Shark hoodie is one of the most iconic outfits in A Bathing Ape history. When it first debuted in 2004, its crazy design and abundance of distinctive elements emphasized the image of BAPE as giving something you couldn't get anywhere else. The store Nowhere became a pivotal part of the emerging ura-Harajuku scene, offering a blend of imported American street and sportswear and innovative Japanese streetwear labels.
Nigo partnered with a friend from fashion school, Jun Takahashi, to create the store. Fujiwara was already a major player in Japan's streetwear scene and one of the first Hip-Hop DJs in Japan. Eric Inkala is a Brooklyn based painter whose highly visual and ever-evolving style has ripened from graffiti to pop art to contemporary art. Inkala is inspired by his relationship with color, love for abstraction and draws from various life experiences for his work. Most recently, Inkala has collaborated with Coach on a limited edition sneaker and mural campaign as well as recent large scale murals for clients such as, Common (@hi.common), ODA New York, Oddfellows NYC and various collaborations with The Bushwick Collective.
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