A Bathing Ape
| File:Bape.png | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fashion |
| Genre | Streetwear |
| Founded | 1993 in Ura-Harajuku, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan |
| Founder | Nigo |
| Headquarters | , |
| Owner | I.T Group |
| Website | bape |
A Bathing Ape, commonly known as BAPE, is a Japanese streetwear brand established by Nigo (Tomoaki Nagao) in 1993 within Tokyo's Ura-Harajuku district. The company offers apparel for men, women, and children, maintaining 19 retail outlets throughout Japan, including flagship stores located in Aoyama and Kyoto. The Kyoto location houses the Bape Gallery, which hosts various exhibitions and cultural events. Globally, BAPE operates stores in cities such as Hong Kong, Taipei, and Beijing among others.
Historically, the brand also managed ventures like Busy Work Shop, the Bape Cuts hair salon, Bape Café, BABY MILO, and The cay Soldier. Nigo expanded the brand portfolio with sub-labels including AAPE (by A Bathing Ape) and BAPY (Busy Working Lady). In 2011, the Hong Kong-based fashion conglomerate I.T Group acquired the company for around $2.8 million USD. Nigo exited the brand in 2013.
History
Nigo, who founded and formerly owned the brand, attributes his entrepreneurial vision to his upbringing and influences such as DJ and fashion pioneer Hiroshi Fujiwara. His moniker "Nigo," meaning "number two" in Japanese, was inspired by his resemblance to Fujiwara. Early cultural inspirations encompassed icons like Elvis Presley, The Beatles, as well as hip-hop groups such as Beastie Boys and Run-DMC.
Following his education in fashion editing at Bunka Fashion College, Nigo worked as a stylist and editor for Popeye magazine. Backed by a loan of four million yen and support from an acquaintance, he inaugurated "Nowhere," his initial retail space alongside Jun Takahashi of Undercover on April 1, 1993, in Ura-Harajuku. The brand's name derives from the film Planet of the Apes, with "BAPE" alluding to the Japanese expression for "A Bathing Ape in Lukewarm Water," symbolizing a complacent lifestyle—reflecting the intended consumer base.
To raise awareness for BAPE, Nigo distributed T-shirts to artists such as Cornelius and hip-hop group Scha Dara Parr. Early production involved creating 30 to 50 shirts weekly; half were sold while the remainder were given away to cultivate brand recognition. In 1997, Nigo released his first album Ape Sounds under Mo'Wax in collaboration with DJ/Producer James Lavelle of UNKLE. Additionally, he co-founded and contributed designs to Pharrell Williams' Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream labels.
On February 1, 2011, the Hong Kong-based I.T Group acquired a controlling interest of 90.27% in A Bathing Ape for HK$21.85 million (approximately US$2.8 million). Nigo continued serving as Creative Director for two years following this acquisition. Since then, BAPE has solidified its status as a leading Japanese streetwear label favored by numerous celebrities featured across magazines and catalogs worldwide.
Design
Bape is known for frequent collaborations with other brands and incorporates popular media franchises such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Marvel comics, Nintendo, DC Comics, and Sanrio’s Hello Kitty. These motifs are integrated into various product lines including accessories, hoodies, jackets, T-shirts, and footwear. The label has partnered with major corporations like Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and Rimowa alongside artists including Biggie Smalls, Wiz Khalifa, and Beastie Boys.
On December 11, 2015, Bape announced Chris Brown as the ambassador for its premium Black Label collection following an earlier collaboration with Travis Scott.
Towards the end of 2018, Bape introduced a clothing line linked to Disney’s animated feature Ralph Breaks the Internet, representing its inaugural direct partnership with Disney.