This fall, highbrow publisher Rizzoli will be releasing A BATHING APE, the first large-format look at the Tokyo-based urban fashion label anointed by Time magazine as Japan's King of Cool.
Founded in the mid-1990s by the enigmatic Nigo, Bape trounced the mass-produced competition with limited edition hip hop apparel and lifestyle branding - collaborating with labels like adidas, M.A.C. Cosmetics, SONY, and Pepsi to create everything from collectible vinyl toys, a full line of women's accessories, an entire catalog of patent leather sneakers, fragrances, an indie recording label, and even an edgy update on the classic Chanel suit.
The mix of swagger with elegance, populism and cultish exclusivity, and a hardcore commitment to reinvention created an equally hardcore group of high profile fans, including Kanye West, Jay-Z, the Beastie Boys, Nas, Mos Def, and Pharrell Williams.
A BATHING APE by Nigo with Ian Luna and Akio Iida will be available in November 2008. Info at Rizzoli New York.
- Lesley Scott
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