The Resurgence of BAPE: A Case Study in Reviving a beloved Brand
Song of the week: The Clipse: Mr. Me Too
I mean, his week’s article is about BAPE. That brand is what it is today in large part because of the Clipse, so who better to talk about this week than Pusha T & No Malice?
Produced by The Neptunes, of course…
BAPE is one the greatest streetwear brands in history.
In the early 2000s it was highly coveted and worn by the fashionistas (and regular fans who could afford it, of course).
I remember In middle school how rare it was to see someone with a pair of them on — the Bapesta’s, BAPE’s iconic shoe, which retailed for over $300.
Getting a pair back then was definitely not happening for the kid, but it is what it is.
“You could pay 3 and buy ya self some Bapestas /Bulletproof under T-Shirts because they hate us” - Pharrell, Mr. Me Too
As the times change, so do streetwear trends, and as the streetwear movement matured, BAPE began to fade into obscurity.
That is… until now.
BAPE just turned 30 this year and has been on a mission to re-establish itself in the market — so much so that Gen Z is re-discovering this iconic brand.
But what exactly is BAPE doing to bring itself back into the mix? Let’s talk about it.
BACK IN EARLY 90’S…
Japanese designer and DJ Tomoaki Nagao better known as Nigo was looking to get into the fashion scene.
Tomaoki always had an affinity for streetwear and eventually decided to attend fashion school he met two people who would change his life forever.
His soon to be business partner Jun Takahashi.
Acclaimed designer Hiroshi Fujiwara, who made him an apprentice
Together those three created a perfect storm of sorts.
After working with Fujiwara for a bit, he encouraged Nigo and Takahashi to create their own boutique, which became the home of Jun Takahasi’s clothing brand, “Undercover.”
Takahashi’s brand would soon become a mainstay at their boutique, and it inspired Nigo to create his own line.
He would soon link up with another acclaimed Japanese designer named Sk8thing, and both had an affinity for American culture.
So much so that while watching “Planet of the Apes,” the idea struck them for a streetwear brand.
THAT BRAND WAS BAPE
Which is short for “A Bathing Ape” — a play on the Planet of the Apes movie, and the Japanese phrase around “Bathing in lukewarm in water” — someone who’s a bit lazy.
BAPE gained massive popularity in Japan & Nigo eventually borrowed 4million yen ($35k) to open BAPE’s flagship store in Japan.
That was the turning point for the brand before it eventually expanded into the U.S.
Then Hip-hop found out about it…
As with many streetwear brands, BAPE was gaining its popularity in underground scenes and started to experience its version of the Hip-hop effect soon after.
According to sources, Biggie was the first rapper to wear BAPE, having seen it on his stylist before a photoshoot.
That eventually led to him getting custom pieces from Nigo, and you know what happened from there: Everybody caught the wave.
In the early 2000s, as new faces in Hip-hop started to emerge, like The Neptunes and Kanye West, different styles of fashion made their way to the forefront.
It was less throwback jerseys and more Polo and Louis Vuitton.
Nigo’s brand continued to grow in the U.S., and he was a fan of Pharrell from The Neptunes.
In fact, he used to go to the same jeweler, Jacob, asking him to remake Pharrell’s chains for him.
Jacob ,The Jeweler, eventually told Pharrell about Nigo & arranged an introduction. Shortly after that, Nigo brought him to his design studio.
The two hit it off, and Nigo would eventually go on to help Pharrell launch his own streetwear brands BUT the foundation of their relationship led to Pharrell championing BAPE.
And, it just so happens that at time Pharrell was also working closely with other Virginia natives, The Clipse, and they too began to sport BAPE apparel (most notably in the album booklet for their classic album “Hell Hath No Fury”).
The combined cultural influence of Pharrell, and The Clipse and a few other rappers led to surge in BAPE’s popularity in the U.S.
By 2011…
Nigo decided that it was time to sell BAPE.
Two years later, he would step away from his duties as its creative director in an effort to focus on new ventures, including his next brand, Human Made (a very dope brand btw).
After Nigo left, the brand experienced some level of success, but once fashion trends began to shift in the 2010s, BAPE started to fade from relevancy.
And now BAPE’s new investors have been busy and doing all that they can to -re-establish its presence in the market.
Let’s talk about it…
RECENT BAPE COLLABS
BAPE has made a concerted effort to regain its place in culture via co-branded collabs with brands near and dear to Millennials and Gen Z.
They’re not just focusing on brands in Hip-hop. BAPE is also exploring other verticals like sports to capture the attention streetwear enthusiasts & casual fans whose interests include things outside of fashion.
In essence, they are acting very much like a challenger brand. Peep a few of our favorite collabs below:
A. BAPE x COCA-COLA
At first glance, it appears that Coke is hoping to make inroads with a younger audience — perhaps to protect itself against any potential slip in market share.
What better place to start than in the world of fashion, and with an iconic streetwear brand no less?
BAPE partnered with Coca-Cola to release a capsule collection this year. it featured 6 pieces in total with co-branded logos in the iconic coca-cola red & BAPE camo.
B. OVO x BAPE
In 2022, BAPE partnered with Drake’s OVO brand (a fashion juggernaut itself) for two capsule collections so far.
Both collections feature a mix of the BAPE camo colorways, the Bathing Ape logo, and the OVO owl.
See below for a sneak peak of the most recent collection between the two brands.
C. INTER-MIAMI x BAPE
It was huge news in the sports world when Lionel Messi revealed that he was signing with Inter Miami & the marketing team over there is keeping their foot on the gas by capturing the attention of Gen Z with a capsule collection.
The BAPE collab was introduced in August of this year and featured a lookbook with several Inter-Miami players, the iconic BAPE camo in their signature pink colorway, and an abundance options to choose from.
D. ADIDAS x BAPE
The Adidas collab has many of the features from the other collections mentioned, including more camo colorways & BAPE’s spin on the iconic Stan Smith silhouette.
In a true act of co-creation the shoes feature key identifiers from each brand — one side has 3 stripes, and the other has the BAPE star.
However, what truly makes this partnership standout is that it highlights the breadth of BAPE’s strategy in the world of sports.
On top of basketball & soccer, they’ve released golf shoes with their Adidas partners (seen below).
E. SQUID-GAME X BAPE
Yes. You read that correctly. BAPE partnered with Squid Game.
The collab featured a line up of tees that included callbacks to both shows. Some featured the contestant number 456, and others featuring the BAPE character “Baby Milo”
Mainly calling this one out because of the recent Squid Game reality show that premiered on Netflix (it’s worth watching btw).
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN 2024?
BAPE is likely going to continue working with other iconic brands to keep fueling cultural conversation around its resurgence.
Although Nigo isn’t a part of the brand anymore, the new generation may not be as concerned, so if the capsule collections are dope they’ll undoubtedly latch on.
Personally, I’ve always thought BAPE was dope, so it’s cool to see them make their way back into the limelight.
Who knows, it might be time get a hoodie, or at least some Bapesta’s.
Peace.