How did it begin?
Nigo (aka Tomoaki Nagao) was born on December 23, 1970. He studied fashion design in Tokyo during the early 90s and also worked as a magazine stylist and DJ.
After a stint at Japanese streetwear brand Nowhere, he started making T-shirts, establishing a company in Tokyo's trendy Harajuku district in 1993. The limited-edition T-shirts, made in batches of 30, were inspired by the 1968 sci-fi film Planet of the Apes (most styles featured gorilla-themed motifs and the ape became the brand's logo). Nigo chose Bape, or Bathing Ape, as the name of the brand, a reference to a Japanese saying 'bathing in lukewarm water', which describes the apathetic and easy lifestyle of modern youth.
The label quickly gained a cult following among teenagers. As the company grew, Bape branched out from men's clothing to include lines for women - Apee and Bapy - and children, Bape Kids.
In Japan, the Bape conglomerate has extended beyond clothing to include a hair salon (Bape Cuts), a gallery (Bape Gallery), coffee shop (Bape Cafe), record label (Ape Sounds) and (B)apeTV. In 2000, Bape was commissioned by Pepsi to design limited-edition cans in its trademark camouflage pattern. Nigo also designed limited-edition trainers for Adidas in 2002 and 2003.
Bape continues to focus on limited editions, with demand far outweighing supply. Many of the stores in Japan are hard to find, with little or no signage, and Bape doesn't advertise. The brand has capitalised on its celebrity following, with fans including rapper Pharrell Williams (who's also collaborated with Nigo on collections).
Die-hard fans have been known to line up for days to buy limited-editions. There are now 22 Bape stores worldwide in cities such as London, New York, Hong Kong, Taipei and Los Angeles.