nigo

Interesting story on Nigo in Conde Naste. He's an intriguing character. I saw him DJing the Teriyaki Boyz performance last month in NYC. He's 35 but he looks like a little kid (toss Pharell in the same boat) Small stature, big cartoony clothes and over the top bling. Not the most skilled DJ and not much charisma. But he got the loudest cheers from the crowd just because he is Nigo - General of the Bape movement. This article paints his personality as fitting the image. I always wonder about people who obsessively collect anything. I admire their focus and attention to detail but is there something missing inside that compels them to collect?

According to Nigo, A Bathing Ape is short for a Japanese saying "a bathing ape in lukewarm water." It's a reference to the young generation being spoiled, pampered and too complacent.

The fashion world is fickle and longevity is rare - especially for a street brand. Right now Bape is walking the tight rope - clinging to its exclusivity while watching its popularity blow up worldwide. I've been to his store in NYC and it is crazy. A little too cartoony for me and way overpriced but I have to respect his hustle. I would rather not see Bape overexposed but it might be too late with every cookie-cutter rapper getting Baped out. Loved Hiroshi Fujiwara's (the Godfather of the Japanese streetwear explosion) quote, “I just wonder how he feels when he sees ugly people wearing his clothes. If you go to the countryside in America and people are wearing Bathing Ape, that’s not very cool.”