The Fall And Rise of The Bathing Ape

Every successful underground brand eventually comes to a crossroads: cash-in or stay niche. Portfolio magazine’s November issue features Nigo as he faces this dilemma with his Bape brand. Once exclusive to those in-the-know, Bape is now a $59 million company. According to the article, “despite Nigo’s strategy of tightly controlled product, curatorial brand management, and unique retail environments, the company is growing faster than he would like.” In most case studies, that would be good. In this case, success has saturated the market with fakes and the brand has started being shunned in the scene it helped create. What’s an ape to do?

There’s also a fascinating look into the history and persona of Nigo, and his massive collection of toys, art and americana that inspires him.

Read the article about the “nerd collector” known as Nigo and the multi-million brand he engineered.

Bathing Ape
Video: The Rise of A Bathing Ape