Bape x Star Wars: someone hand me a phaser

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away there was this clothing brand from Japan that became really pretty cool mainly because of the select media types it chose to be associated with and the quirky cartoon-like nature of its designs which also had a kind of respectable undertone because they centred on apes and played quite a bit on the planet on which apes lived, called the Planet of the Apes.

Well that was then and that was that star system. Somewhere along the line tastes in this brand changed, initially in Japan, where people soon got a sniff of what a sell-out the founder of Bathing Ape, Nigo, was becoming. Then some real gorillas, or gangsta rappers as they are also known, started to take interest in the brand and before long Bape, as it was known then, had transgressed from cool to crap.

A similar thing happened to this brand called Star Wars, the reputation of which was decimated by a succession of appalling prequels, leaving only the design of costumes and the original films to stand it up. But then the creator George Lucas got greedy and as he slowly licensed away the last traces of respectability, along came Bape.

And this is the result. The bastard offsrping of a dying brand and an overmilked movie franchise.

And as a former fan of both of these entities, I am slowly weeping into my keyboard as I type.

Bape x Star Wars launched in the New York Bape store last week.

I am in the process of finding a shuttle off this rock.

Baracuta collabs: Steve would go Ape

When Steve McQueen slipped on that Baracuta G9 back in the day he inadvertently fuelled the flames of a style that was even then heading towards classic status.

What he would think of the latest incarnations of the jacket is anyone's guess.

There is one version of the G9 in collaboration with Deluxe and then the Bape version of the G4, which has been previously mentioned on this site but is available to see here in all its monkey-like detail.

A Bathing Ape reinvents the classics

I didn't really want Bape to die, but that's what happens when the gangstas get hold of something. I put the blame firmly at Nigo's feet. Then he sold out and I thought that was the end of it.

But the ape has had an epiphany and we're seeing some interesting interpretations of the classics coming through. This time Nigo's not just blatantly ripping off designs, he's collaborating.

For these projects the Bape monicker has been dropped and it is now A Bathing Ape.

So you get the A Bathing Ape x Mackintosh Kellas jacket and the A Bathing Ape x Mackintosh Baracuta G4 and G9. And to give Nigo his due, he has chosen wisely. I have both a Mackintosh Kellas and a Baracuta (G10, mind) in my own collection.

I even considered a Rocky Mountain Featherbed vest briefly.

Baby Milo: life after death

Baby milo might as well have sounded his last grunt after Nigo sold out to Hong Kong based IT Limited last month as far as many of you are concerned.

But while Bape might be the clothes brand equivalent of a remote controlled car these days, at least Milo's death won't be entirely in vain.

Because in the name of art and research, Kaws has disected him.

Apparently it turned out he didn't have a heart. That had already been sold.

Ursus Bape fall winter 2010 collection

As far as I am concerned, the Ursus line is the best hope Bape has got right now.

I know Bape still has its faithful, and I don't deny I still take a peek in the Bape store whenever I'm in town, but the days of day-glo pyjama prints are well behind us, along with the hours of qeueing on a Saturday for the latest release.

Ursus is unlikely to revive the hysteria, but that's really what makes it so appealing. This is a more grown-up edge to Bape, and one the kiddy gangsta rappers hopefully won't hijack.

You can now get Bape online, here.


Via Freshness

Stussy x Bape collab: About time

The news of a collaboration between Stussy and Bape would have got me all excited a few years ago.

When you think about it the California skate label and Japanese street brand are the perfect match. Both have a thing for customised camouflage, military influences. They love a logo, and they make a decent baseball cap.

They've come up with a few nice bits together, Bape on the camo, Stussy on the logo side. There are some tees, sweats and caps.

By the looks of the little tags on the arms, they've gone with the Bape manufacturing, which is a relief. Because Stussy stuff doesn't last half as long.

Worth a look, but a bit late for me.

Via slamxhype

N.E.R.D photo shoot: At least Pharrell wears it well

My friend James once said that the only person who ever looked good in Billionaire Boys Club clothes was Pharrell Williams.

Never a truer word spoken if you ask me. Mind you, if N.E.R.D's outfits in this video are all BBC, it looks like they might have toned things down at last. Oversized baby pink hoodies with dollar symbols all over them were always going to have a shelf life, after all.

This stuff looks tame in comparison.

But that doesn't hide the fact that somewhere on those garments will be located a dollar sign, or a diamond, or a spaceman. Holding an ice cream. For some reason that puts me off.

Even N.E.R.D won't persuade me otherwise.

And yes, I know I used to wear a bit of Bathing Ape on occassion, which is a sister label of BBC, but that was because of James Lavelle. And besides, BBC is far worse.

Fishtails in the spring

The great thing about fishtail parkas is that they look just as good over a suit, as characterised by the mods of the sixties, or worn with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

These days fishtails are a little less roomy than in days of yore. And with a fitted silhouette they have become a sharper option for coping with the spring showers.

All the decent brands seem to have a fishtail parka in their lineup for the spring. Here's a selection of the better ones I've found.

I might add to this. The one at the top is the fishtail I'll be rocking, from you know who.

This one's by Supreme ...

Nigel Cabourn ...
Bape
Bape

Bape.com European website: Better late than never

There was a time when the news that Bape is launching a European website would have been music to my ears. In fact, the availability of this brand at the touch of a button, away from the dubious 'is it fake or not?' Ebay lottery would more than likely have sent me spiralling into bankruptcy as I got buried under shipping-containers full of ape branded merchandise.

It was bad enough having the Busy Workshop at the other end of the train line, within range of an early morning excursion to queue up for the shark hoodies (which I never managed to get).

But the days of Bape hysteria are over - for me at least, and, I would suspect, everyone else. Because that's why Nigo has resorted to a Bape.com for Europe.

So just when nobody wants the stuff, he decides to make it available. Clever.

On the other hand, that new Ursus line has already peaked my interest. Maybe I'll have time for Bape.com after all.

Ursus: Finally something good to say about Bape

Seeing as I've never been backward in coming forward in waxing lyrical about the demise of Bape, it's really only right that I should give a little mention here to developments that could actually turn the brand around.

Bape has just wheeled out the second collection from its Ursus sub label, the formation of which was announced back in July. Ursus has been produced in collaboration with creator Nigo's friend and fellow designer, Tetsu Tet Nishiyama, who is the creative director of WTaps.

This is an example of what appears to be a softening in attitudes towards Bape among the Tokyo clothing institutions. A few years ago the likes of Hiroshi Fujiwara and other label luminaries couldn't find a good word to say about Bape, accusing it of selling out as Nigo jumped into bed (metaphorically speaking) with hip hop stars and became involved in Pharrell Williams's disastrous BBC label.

All that bad blood seems to be water under the bridge now, with the announcement first of the Ursus label and more recently a Bape collaboration with Fujiwara himself and Fragment Design.
With the state of the economy in Japan, these collaborations could well be a bid for survival among the high-end labels. It is certainly the case that this new found co-operation is being welcomed by customers.

Now if those damn gangsta rappers could just leave Bape alone, we might be ghetting somewhere.

For more images visit Slamxhype