A Japanese streetwear brand founded by Teriyaki Boyz member Nigo in 1993, opening a store named NOWHERE alongside fellow designer Jun Takahashi of Undercover. Popularized in the US by Kanye West in the early 2000s, the brand is most well known for it's shark hoodies, original camo patterns, and their Baby Milo mascot.
The brand has had crossovers with numerous well known franchises including Naruto, One Piece, Dragon Ball, Gundam, Transformers, Star Wars, and the Ultra series, as well as many official collaborations with American rappers, k-pop groups, sports players/teams, and other celebrities. BAPE has also collaborated with many other fashion companies - most notably with Adidas, a long running partnership that has resulted in almost yearly releases.
The brand was sold to Hong Kong fashion business conglomerate I.T Group in 2011. Nigo remained at the brand for 2 years before departing in 2013.
Informally known as BAPE.
BAPE also has several sub-brands under the main Bathing Ape umbrella. BAPE's sub-brands include:
AAPE - a slightly more affordable brand with a streetwear aesthetic, distinguished by it's Moonface ape logo and unique mascots such as Aldo
APEE - a young women's brand with a Y2K aesthetic, distinguished by it's heart brand logo
BAPY - a women's casual brand that notably foregoes the overt branding and flashy colored camouflage of the main brand for more understated designs
Mr. BATHING APE - a men's brand with a preppy and business casual aesthetic
BAPE Black - a higher end men's brand with a high fashion/designer aesthetic, promoted as using more premium materials than the mainline products
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