List of products by brand Bape

In Bathing Ape

A Bathing Ape, or Bape, is a Japanese clothing brand specializing in luxury urban clothing (Luxury StreetWear).

History of the brand

Originally a t-shirt brand, the company was founded in 1993 by Nigo (which means "number 2" in Japanese, real name Tomoaki Nagao, born September 23, 1970), in a trendy district of Tokyo, Shibuya , where he was then working in a small boutique, Nowhere, which would give birth to one of the first Japanese streetwear brands. Bape's logo and themes are derived from the early films in the Planet of the Apes series, while the brand's name is based on a common Japanese phrase meaning "bathe in lukewarm water" (it looks like "take it easy. »In French), which evokes the way of life of today's Japanese youth.

Fame

The brand's international fame was forged in the early 2000s, especially in the United States, due to its popularity with famous artists such as Pharrell Williams of the hip-hop duo The Neptunes as well as the group N.E.R.D. to which is added Shay Haley, Soulja Boy, Kanye West (who also has his own line of shoes made by Bape), Jay-Z, Fall Out Boy, Young Jeezy, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Teriyaki Boyz, Kid Cudi or Busta Rhymes, C-Glock ...

Popular in the hip-hop and streetwear world in the mid-2000s, the brand's popularity declined sharply thereafter. Thus, Bape's losses amounted to 2 million euros in 2009, then 1 million euros in 2010, causing the closure of some outlets. The brand was indebted to the tune of 23 million euros in 2011, before its takeover by the Hong Kong fashion conglomerate I.T.

Nigo often used American artists, such as Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden and Pharrell Williams, in Bathing Ape ads and magazine articles to promote the brand. Pharrell Williams also collaborated with Nigo on the styling of the Billionaire Boys Club clothing line and the Ice Cream Appeal line of sneakers, manufactured by Reebok. A Bape store opened in the United States in 2004, in New York. Subsequently, another store opened in Los Angeles (which will close in 2010). In Paris, only a few items are exclusively distributed by the hype colette boutique. A boutique opens in Paris on Friday December 1st. It is the first Bape store in Europe.

The humorous French-speaking site Désencyclopédie devotes a cult to the brand Bathing Ape on the occasion of a vandal article comprising only one line, on which the authors of the site have embroidered a succession of articles exalting the image of the famous claw

Marketing strategies and products

Bape is known for its sound marketing strategies, which include offering its products in very limited series, in order to create a demand effect. Each city has its own colors, available only in that city's store, and there is also an ultra-private "bapexclusive" store open only to the best customers. In the same vein, Bape stores are generally difficult to find and are usually not identified by specific brands, in order to maintain a climate of exclusivity and scarcity. Many stores practice a sales policy consisting of only offering products manufactured in a single copy, in order to thwart any attempt to counterfeit articles on the black market (this policy has however proved to be in vain - see below) . In Japan, the popularity of the Bape brand was such that Pepsi-Cola commissioned it to design a limited edition bottle.

Over the years, the Bape company has diversified its activities, adding to its line of T-shirts (Baby Milo and Bathing Ape) other lines of clothing and accessories, such as sneakers (notably the Bape Sta line, sold in the ultra trendy Foot Soldier stores), jeans and underwear. A Bathing Ape has even diversified beyond the clothing sector, opening a hairdressing salon (Bape Cuts), an art gallery (Bape Gallery), a café-restaurant (Bape Café), programs (Bape TV), and above all by setting up a record company, (B) Ape Sounds, a formidable vehicle for promoting the brand.

(B) Ape Sounds produces limited edition hip-hop CDs and vinyls, and artists such as Teriyaki Boyz, Low Jack Three and Wise (part of the Teriyaki Boyz). There is also the Bape All Star which brings together Bape artists and some American rappers including Kanye West and N.E.R.D., however the latter only participate in the galas for opening Bape stores or promoting the brand.

In 2013, the brand moved towards a collaborative strategy and offered numerous collections in partnership with brands and franchises such as Reebok, DC Shoes, Casio, Stussy, Ferrari, Undefeated, Comme des Garçons, Luminox and even Star Wars.


Counterfeiting

Given the rarity of Bape articles, also given their high prices and the high demand for them, a large number of counterfeits circulate in the market. These products were called "Fapes" a portmanteau word created from the words fake ("false" in English) and Bape. With the increasing amount of counterfeit items being produced, their quality improves and it has become increasingly difficult to spot them. The brand will find a strategy, modifying some details on the genuine items.

In France, this counterfeiting was particularly illustrated by a brief but massive appearance of counterfeits of Baby Milo articles among young adolescents in 2010.


The takeover of Bape by the I.T group


In 2011, the Hong Kong group I.T acquired 90% of the capital of Bape's parent company, Nowhere. The amount of the transaction amounts to 2 million euros. At the same time, I.T is paying off Nowhere's debt, which amounted to 23 million euros. Bape's results can be explained by a succession of bad choices from Nigo. Despite a drop in demand, he embarked on a risky diversification with the opening of an art gallery, a restaurant, a boutique for his brand for children. He gradually turned away from his basic marketing strategy by wanting to make Bape a mainstream brand.