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Nigo BAPE interview...

djsheepdjsheep 3,620 Posts
edited May 2005 in Strut Central
Interesting read... dude seems a little up himself, but he runs shit in Japan, that ain't no joke...peace.http://www.pigmag.com/content/view/560
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  • Rod_TorfulsonRod_Torfulson 464 Posts


    Original Warhol paintings. Those rugs are cool too. I wish I could charge people 90 dollars for t-shirts.
  • ariel_calmerariel_calmer 3,762 Posts

    I love collecting. I love Charles Eames???s vintage furniture. I have the real Star Wars sword and lots of life-sized characters from Star Wars and Planet of the Apes. The original ones! They have to be originals and in excellent condition. I also collect American detergents. I???ve been like this ever since I was a child. [/b]It???s in my blood. When I find something new and interesting, I drop the last collection and start a new one. This happens when I sketch garments too. Right now I???m into Versace furniture. It???s very rare in Japan and not very well known. It???s nice ??? makes me feel very cool.
  • BsidesBsides 4,244 Posts
    oh my god.........look at dudes house.










    god damn. I wish I had thought to rip off af1's and put monkey pictures on T-shirts. WHAT THE FUCK?!?!
  • mylatencymylatency 10,475 Posts
    Bsides,



    Those little shots are not of his house, they are off his businesses (I think they are of the Bape shopes in Aoyama, and the cafe).



    Somebody correct me.
  • AserAser 2,351 Posts
    bape is on the decline in the japanese markets. The hong kong members only store mentioned in the article has closed down. And from all reports, there's nothing special at the store in Soho. I haven't bothered going in to be honest, $80 t-shirts is not w/i my budget. Going after the hiphop market might be his own undoing, the appeal of his brand was based strictly on limited supply vs insatiable demand. We shall see what happens....

    can't front on the eames chair though.
  • mylatencymylatency 10,475 Posts
    Correct, Bape is kind of like the Gap/Old Navy of Japan now. It has been like this since the early '00s.

  • funky16cornersfunky16corners 7,175 Posts

    I want[/b] one of those tiger rugs...
  • BsidesBsides 4,244 Posts
    Correct, Bape is kind of like the Gap/Old Navy of Japan now. It has been like this since the early '00s.



    how is going after the hip hop market going to be his undoing? Dudes shoes have almost all but replaces AF1's.

    Fuck 90 dollar t-shirts though. I can make my own for that price.

  • SouthCrackalackSouthCrackalack 3,853 Posts
    what the fuck is the big deal about these ugly ass Air Force 1 rip offs? All of them are fucking ass ugly...and whats up with those gay ass color schemes? patent leather too right? ughh

    and as far as having an ape/gorilla/whatever on a t shirt....

    X-LARGE




    fuck BAPE. I cant wait till suckers quit buying these shits.
  • Big_ChanBig_Chan 5,088 Posts
    I've seen the outside of dude's house in Tokyo and it takes up half a city block. It's the biggest single residence I've seen in Tokyo. This fool is BIG BALLIN'!

  • BsidesBsides 4,244 Posts
    what the fuck is the big deal about these ugly ass Air Force 1 rip offs? All of them are fucking ass ugly...and whats up with those gay ass color schemes? patent leather too right? ughh

    and as far as having an ape/gorilla/whatever on a t shirt....

    X-LARGE

    i think the shoes are kind of flavor. Even if all they are is ugly air force 1 rips.






    fuck BAPE. I cant wait till suckers quit buying these shits.
  • Funky_MimizuFunky_Mimizu 631 Posts
    Correct, Bape is kind of like the Gap/Old Navy of Japan now. It has been like this since the early '00s.


    I wouldn't go quite that far... Uniqlo still holds that position.

  • mylatencymylatency 10,475 Posts
    The Yakuza controls many aspects of japanese popular culture, including many singers' careers and "funding" fashion.
  • mylatencymylatency 10,475 Posts
    Ah correct, but in general Bape's popularity and demand has diminished. Hence Number Two's statement:



    "But here in Japan some people bad-mouth A Bathing Ape?? because it diversified. This doesn???t happen outside Japan, so within five or ten years I want to be successful abroad too. That way no one will dis me here any more."





    Hence product placement on the backs of a number of American music artists.



    "I???m having a jewel made in a jewellery store called Jacob the Jeweller in New York. Loads of celebrities go there like Jay-Z, Mariah Carey and Pharrell (N.E.R.D.). Their pictures are on the walls of the store and mine too now. Some people are curious and ask who the guy is in my picture ??? and that???s how Pharrell and I met. And Jay-Z wears my sneakers at concerts. Anyway, we became mates. Pharrell told me that he wanted to create a clothing line, so together we created the Billionaire Boys Club (BBC) brand like Louis Vuitton did with Marc Jacobs. Pharrell is the designer and it???s good publicity for me.

    As well as BBC, DUB magazine (a top men???s lifestyle magazine in the US) put me on their front page so many artists got to know me and started wearing my sneakers. Even a song by Jay-Z talks about ???Ape Kicks???. America???s a massive opportunity for me."





    Despite all these moves, his "hype" can't combat low quality designs (fugly) and limited appeal/interest from the majority of Americans.



    Ice Creams?



    Nigo, plaese.
  • AserAser 2,351 Posts
    I like uniqlo's selvedge denim. Great quality at really affordable prices........
  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    that ain't no joke...

    It kind of is a big joke, though.
  • mylatencymylatency 10,475 Posts
    It kind of is a big moneymaking joke, though.
  • SouthCrackalackSouthCrackalack 3,853 Posts
    I guess Bapes are kind of cool...



    for blind people.
  • slushslush 691 Posts
    uniqlo had a basquiat line which was kinda heartbreaking cos it really is the GAP and mass produced as such. Daily id see at least a half dozen folks rocking sugar ray robinson, 50 year olds and 13 year olds. no discrimination.

    bootlegs prolly killed bape. good id say. bape is fucked up
  • asprinasprin 1,765 Posts
    Fuck the BS...

    STRICTLY URBAN OUTFITTERZ??? BATCHEZ.
  • SouthCrackalackSouthCrackalack 3,853 Posts
    Fuck the BS...

    STRICTLY URBAN OUTFITTERZ??? BATCHEZ.

    dont they carry Lacoste???or am I wrong? if so..I cant front on that.

    I have seen a catalog from Urban Outfitters..its where I got my John Deere hat and my Jesus is my Homeboy shirt!shits HAWTTTTTT
  • Big_ChanBig_Chan 5,088 Posts

    I have seen a catalog from Urban Outfitters..its where I got my John Deere hat and my Jesus is my Homeboy shirt!shits HAWTTTTTT

    They have hipsters in South Carolina?
  • mylatencymylatency 10,475 Posts
    they have URBN but they don't have GUITAR CTR. ?
  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    Holy cow, if wearing a John Deere cap makes one a hipster than we've got a whooooooole lot of em in the Carolinas... are you disqualified if you've ever actually USED a piece of Deere equipment?
  • Big_ChanBig_Chan 5,088 Posts
    Holy cow, if wearing a John Deere cap makes one a hipster than we've got a whooooooole lot of em in the Carolinas... are you disqualified if you've ever actually USED a piece of Deere equipment?

    The comment was in reference to the combination of the "Jesus Is My Homeboy" shirt AND the John Deere cap.
  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    Does Urban Outfitters actually sell Deere mesh caps though? That would just be hilarious to me... cuz it really wouldn't be hip around here, you'd just blend right in

    Sometimes I feel fortunate to have a safe distance from ironic city culture
  • Big_ChanBig_Chan 5,088 Posts
    Does Urban Outfitters actually sell Deere mesh caps though? That would just be hilarious to me... cuz it really wouldn't be hip around here, you'd just blend right in

    Sometimes I feel fortunate to have a safe distance from ironic city culture

    They REALLY sell John Deere mesh caps hommie and "Hipsters" in Seattle wear 'em!
  • bull_oxbull_ox 5,056 Posts
    Ah man, I'd love to see those kids get REAL hip and drive a fucking tractor down the sidewalk...



  • MondeyanoMondeyano Reykjavik 863 Posts
    Bsides,

    Those little shots are not of his house, they are off his businesses (I think they are of the Bape shopes in Aoyama, and the cafe).

    Somebody correct me.
    The first shot is the Aoyama shop and the second is Footsoldier.
  • mylatencymylatency 10,475 Posts
    thx, I always get those locations mixed up
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