Bape

A Bathing Ape (or BAPE) is a Japanese fashion label founded in Ura-Harajuku in 1993 by Nigo (Tomoaki Nagao). The brand specializes in lifestyle and street wear for men, women, and children and operates 19 stores in Japan, including Bape Stores, Bape Pirate Stores, Bape Kids Stores, Bapexclusive Aoyama, and Bapexclusive Kyoto. Bape Gallery, a space used for various events and art shows sponsored by Bape, is also located in the Kyoto store. Hong Kong, Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Qingdao, Shenyang, Seoul, Jakarta, Dubai, New York City, Kuala Lumpur, London, Paris, Miami, and Los Angeles all have stores.

Previously, the company ran Busy Work Shop, Bape Cuts hair salon, Bape Café, BABY MILO, and The Cay Soldier. Nigo is also the creator of the secondary lines AAPE (by A Bathing Ape) and BAPY (Busy Working Lady). The company was sold to Hong Kong fashion conglomerate I.T. Group in 2011 for approximately $2.8 million. The brand draws heavily on computer games, toy figurines, and cartoons and has become deeply ingrained in hip-hop culture. Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, Pusha T, and The Weeknd are among his previous collaborators, and he co-owns sister brands Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream with Pharrell Williams. The brand's multi-colored camouflage prints, which adorn everything from sneakers to bow ties, are perhaps its most well-known feature.

Founded: 1993
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Instagram: @bape_japan (2.6 million followers)
Website: https://row.bape.com/