As with many of the Japanese streetwear iconic brands, BAPE’s roots can be traced to the ura-Harajuku scene in the early 1990s. The majority of the current heavyweightslike Shin Takazawa of Neighborhood, Tetsu Nishiyama of WTaps, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Sk8thing, etc. were actually friends from the same area, each doing their own thing , and helping one another throughout the course of their careers.
After a few years in the roles of editor and stylist for Popeye magazine Nigo established his store , ‘Nowhere’, together with Jun Takahashi of Undercover, and then shortly thereafter, worked with Sk8thing to create his own clothing line called The Bathing Ape — or BAPE.
Nigo is a fervent lover of the 20th century’s pop culture. He channeled his passion for the movie Planet of the Apes in the name and the iconic BAPE logo and also using the Japanese expression “A bathing ape in the lukewarm waters. The expression is used to describe someone who indulges too much, such as lying in a tub to the point that the tub isn’t hot anymore, and it was a sly reference to the same high-consumption youth that would later become the foundation for his company.
A lot of money in Japan
With its mix of imported American streetwear and sportswear, and innovative Japanese streetwear labels such as WTaps and its predecessor Forty Percents against the Rights Nowhere soon became a central element of the growing ura-Harajuku scene, featuring Nigo being one of the mascots.
Together with Neighborhood, Hysteric Glamour and other brands like Hysteric Glamour, A Bathing Ape and Nowhere contributed to the definition of the “Urahara” style in the late ’90s. Urahara originates from the word “ura-Harajuku” which basically means “underground Harajuku” – the underground scene of the 1990s’ early years that was heavily influenced by a mix of different American fashions and clothing styles.
Through ties to The International Stussy Tribe and James Lavelle of UNKLE & Mo’Wax records, BAPE quickly gained recognition as a popular cultural icon in Tokyo and was also an under-appreciated secret within closed circles outside of Japan – friends went to Japan and bring back some clothes and magazine, then the buzz was then spread via word-of-mouth.
The power of Exclusivity
The reason behind BAPE’s shortage was probably an issue of money the reason being that Nigo was with a small budget and could was able to only produce about 50 T-shirts per week. However, he did not like the thought of everybody wearing the same style.
In 1998, the brand was sold in more than 40 stores across Japan However, Nigo decided to make the bold decision of removing all wholesale operations and focussing all his efforts on a single location in Tokyo. The sales quickly surpassed their prior levels, and the basic streetwear formula of hype public spectacle and scarcity was born. This was arguably the catalyst for streetwear’s crowd-pleasing culture, which we are familiar with and enjoy (or dislike) in the present.
The Pharrell Years Pharrell Years
The period from the late 1990s to the early ’00s are usually regarded as the golden age of BAPE and its products quickly being sold out Japan and fashionable figures such as the Notorious B.I.G. providing the brand with healthy praise for its role in the hip-hop world. In the early 2000s, Nigo got introduced to Pharrell Williams by Jacob the Jeweller who noticed the two’s common interests in jewelry commissions.
Popular for his laidback personality and youthful, free spirit, BAPE’s vibrant and flashy design paired perfectly with Pharrell’s style. His popularity was followed by increased focus on BAPE across the pond, although the brand was still scarce due to the absence American distributors.
The year 2005 was the first time Pharrell along with Nigo partnered with N*E*R*D’s Billionaire Boys Club & Ice Cream clothing designs and the stylish extravagant, fun and playful style of BAPE became the mainstay of the hip-hop fashions of the millennials. In 2005 and 2006 BAPE’s first flagship stores outside of the US were launched both in New York and Los Angeles and Kanye West created his own version of the brand’s sought-after Bapesta sneakers.
In 2007, the famous music video of Soulja Boy’s song ‘Crank Dat was released, which featured Soulja Boy’s Bapestas in a large amount (though they have been put into doubt) as well as the lyrics, ‘I bought myself some Bathin Ape’. It was that simple; BAPE was a part of the scene and was crowned as the epitome of expensive, flashy streetwear.
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The Steady Decline and Nigo’s Exit
While the BAPE story wouldn’t have been identical without the rapid rise to popularity in the United States The brand’s increased popularity has brought several issues. The scarcity of products within America U.S., combined with the incredibly high price of BAPE for Western consumers of a young age which led to the rise of fake products, flooding markets before BAPE could establish its footing. The rapid growth of BAPE’s brand was also a sign that its popularity grew to be more of a trend or temporary trend rather than the steady and meticulously-cultivated hype that it had developed in Japan.
In 2010, the brand was no longer popular and in the aftermath, it was discovered the fact that A Bathing Ape had amassed more than 2.5 billion dollars ($22.5 millions) of debt. Nigo was forced to leave the company’s CEO position, and in the year 2011, the brand was transferred by Hong Kong fashion conglomerate I.T for just $2.8 million. The next two years Nigo continued to work for the company to help with the transition and launch his brand new label inspired by vintage Human Made and taking on his new role as the Creative Director of Uniqlo’s “UT T-shirt’ line.
BAPE Today
Since it was acquired of I.T, BAPE has settled as a primary label in modern streetwear. Even though the brand isn’t as popular and unpredictably as it once was but its status in the form of one of the first streetwear iconic brands, and its deep ties to music and the street scene has helped keep the brand alive with a broader appeal.
Rare and sought-after items like BAPE shark hoodies, the insulated snow jackets are now essential pieces for throughout the year and the brand’s iconic camo is an extremely popular images of modern street fashion. For a lot of old-fashioned people who have seen the BAPE of today has very little to do with its roots however whether this is positive or negative is simply dependent on your perspective. It’s an established brand that is defined by its young, discerning consumers’ fervent appetite for everything available, so in many ways, it’s exactly identical to how it was.
Purchase BAPE Online
One of the most difficult aspects of purchasing BAPE on the internet in the early 2000s was the absence of trusted or authentic stores on the Internet This made it a greater risk buying pieces from eBay or other online forums.
However, that’s not nowadays as BAPE’s BAPE online store providing an extensive range of products on bape.com and trustworthy retailers such as END., Selfridges and Undefeated offering an impressive selection of products each season. Finding older items and forgotten treasures is a lot more accessible thanks to the help of Grailed, Depop and Facebook buyer/seller communities, while eBay is now an simpler place to shop.
Beware, however, that the danger of purchasing fake goods from a seller who isn’t licensed to sell it is still as valid as ever, however there are detailed guidelines on how to spot counterfeits that can be found with a simple Google search. If you’re not an expert in BAPE product (and honestly even if) be sure to research the product you’re purchasing and avoid the hassle of opening a box filled with fake clothes purchased from a scammer BAPE Wholesale Discount Store.
Pro-tip: I’m not able to discuss other countries however in the UK when you buy something online using the debit card and it proves to be fraudulent, you’ll have difficulty recovering your money. If you make a purchase using credit card the bank will reverse the charge as soon as it is possible and leave it to the seller to verify the authenticity of the item. Credit cards aren’t always the best option.
Buy from the BAPE Shop
If you’re not lucky enough to be in Tokyo shopping for BAPE in an actual store could be quite a challenge. For a while, throughout the UK and in the United States, product stayed almost exclusively in flagship stores owned by the brand. Since I.T’s acquisition the company, the situation has opened down a bit and there are plenty of choices for where you can purchase BAPE with the added benefit of trying it out before purchasing.
In the UK There’s an ongoing BAPE shop inside the London’s Selfridges department shop, adorned with the distinctive camo of the brand and neon-colored decor. END.’s two brick-and-mortar stores located in Newcastle in the UK and Glasgow have made sure that Northern customers well-provided for.
In the USA beyond the BAPE shop located in New York, many of the major streetwear stores like RSVP Chicago and Concepts Boston are certified stockists of BAPE’s brand. Meanwhile, the stores of Undefeated have all of the West coast well and truly covered.
Asian heads are the most advantageous deal, of course. There’s an BAPE shop everywhere in Japan as well as numerous outlets scattered throughout China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Taipei and Thailand.
Visit go to the BAPE online store to find the complete list of brick and mortar stores.
What is the reason BAPE so costly?
There are very few discussions on BAPE that are ever able to go on without asking that important question; what exactly is it that makes BAPE so costly? It’s true that with many Japanese brands there’s a lengthy list of reasons for their pricing structures; better standard of product quality higher health and the pay of Japanese producers, a consumer perception in Japan that a quality products are worthwhile and is worth paying for, and on and on.
The issue that is different about BAPE but, at present at the very least it isn’t the case that this is actually the case. The product is made in China. The quality, although superior to the average shopping mall brand, is not exceptional. In terms of its popularity within Japan, BAPE is hardly an outstanding brand. It’s actually so ubiquitous in Japan that the majority of people wouldn’t look twice at it.
Why is BAPE such a costly proposition? Take a seat for the answer that it is simply. Do you remember the significance of the name? Youth that is overindulgent and complacent? Ding ding ding. BAPE is pricey because it’s a brand that is expensive for children who have excessive amounts of money. It also happens the witty treatment it gives its clients turned out to be one of its biggest appeals.
There’s some truth to it that any high-end brand must charge high prices to keep the customers’ perception of it and there’s anything else to BAPE. BAPE’s “patent authentic leather” Bapesta sneakers were often constructed of plastic, and then damaged and chipped after just several years of use. The T-shirts, while certainly a step above the rest at one time but are now just ordinary T-shirts with a tiny knit label. The other garments even though they’re well-constructed and packed with details, are produced in China to meet Chinese labor costs. Also, yeah. BAPE is expensive due to the fact that BAPE is pricey.