The Bape Life

How fitting that a pair of golden Bapestas led me to the Bape website last night and there I discovered how far reaching the brand has become. Nigo – the mastermind behind the Bathing Ape empire – has had a goal for his brand to be more than just another label. With stores in 6 corners of the globe, and with its various departments, it has become a lifestyle that and continues to exceed and redefine what a lifestyle brand should be.

It has everything you need to live a lifestyle: Towels, glasses cases, bags, pencil cases, wall clocks, and umbrellas to name a few.

One indication that a brand has become a lifestyle is when it successfully extends beyond its original product category – in Bape’s case, it began with clothing. The company not only maintains its apparel line, but also operates Bape Cuts hair salon, Bape Gallery, Bape Sounds Records. There’s even a Bape Café with its own brand of food, drinks and dessert. They don’t miss a beat!

Bape Food!

Designer names like Abercrombie and Fitch and Calvin Klein are considered typical lifestyle brands but are no where near as comprehensive as A Bathing Ape. Part of its far-reaching

success could be its constant collaborations – the current big one being Sponge Bob, but has included big companies like Adidas, Casio, Disney, Marvel and Pepsi in the past – combining strengths of the brands involved, leading to mutual benefits to both in expanding their horizons so to speak.

Bape shirts that are two-sided – You know when you grab that shirt even though its dirty but you still wear it? Bape lets you continue this life style by looking new and fresh on the block while doing it. I like how Bape takes into account your busy lifestyle and not having time to wash your clothes all the time. They make it seem like you have more clothes than you really do. The crazy colours and designs are helpful: in case you get lost in a crowd, you'll be easy to find (not good if you’re a fugitive, so criminals beware).

In North America, the culture Bape reaches is limited to those in-the-know, particularly sneaker heads. But in Japan, where it has been established for over a decade, it is well known and not limited to such subculture, but rather to everyone and that’s really where the lifestyle aspect can really take off. Give Bape a few more years in North America and see how far it can go.