08/10/24
The Nigo recipe:
from Bape to Human Made
F/W
To celebrate the release of Graduate Store’s new Human made collection, we take a look back at the history of the Nigo phenomenon.
Nigo streetwear magnate:
An emblematic figure of streetwear in Japan and around the world, fashion designer Nigo has left his mark on the 21st century, thanks to his nods to pop culture. It was during the Second World War that the roots of streetwear took root in Japan. During this period, nearly half a million American soldiers settled in Japan. Influencing the country and its artists. It was thanks to Tokyo in the 1990s that the movement became popular, in the Harajuku and Shibuya districts. In 1996, Nigo joined forces with Jun Takahashi, founder of UNDERCOVER, to open one of the first NOWHERE streetwear boutiques in the middle of the Harajuku district. It was in this boutique that he distributed his Bape brand.
With his A Bathing Ape brand, Nigo succeeded in bringing camo (camouflage) print back into fashion, as well as Nike’s emblematic Air Force, with the Bapesta. Such was the brand’s success that in 2011, the shooting star brand was acquired for $2.8 million by Hong Kong fashion conglomerate I.T. Building on its initial success, and having seduced thousands of young people around the world, Nigo is now aiming to appeal to a more mature audience, with its new Human Made brand.
The origins of streetwear in Japan:
Tomoaki Nagoa, a.k.a. Nigo, is a pop culture figure who has made his mark on both the fashion and music industries. On the fashion side, he has worked with such big names as Pharrell Williams and Virgil Abloh. On the music side, he has worked with Asap Rocky and Kid Cudi. Nigo’s love of both arts is reflected in the collections of his brand A Bapething Ape. Thanks to Bape, Nigo has come up with an item that will turn the sneaker world upside down: the Bapesta, his interpretation of Nike’s famous air force one. A sneaker in which the logo in the shape of a shooting star replaces the famous Nike comma. The Bapesta has become a symbol of sneaker culture the world over. As a result, Nigo has attracted the interest of major brands such as Kenzo, of which he is currently Artistic Director.
Towards the end of Bape
The A Bathing Ape brand has made pop culture trendy, managing to fuse street style with haute couture. From the streets of Tokyo, the brand is now worn the world over. The camouflage zip-up hoodies have gradually become collector’s items, selling for between 300 and 2,000 euros on the parallel resale market. Despite the brand’s dazzling success, Nigo was forced to sell 90% of its shares following financial problems. Between 2009 and 2010, the brand lost more than $3 million, and some of its stores had to close due to a drop in traffic: like the iconic Los Angeles store. The brand has been owned by Chinese textile giant I.T.Ltd. since 2011.
Towards a renaissance with Human Made
Less flashy than Bape, Human Made is aimed at a more mature audience, blending the codes of Japanese streetwear and American vintage in its creations. Through the brand, Nigo reworks a range of pieces from timeless denim jackets and varsity jackets to simple t-shirts and graphic hoodies. As far as materials are concerned, when Bape products were produced in China. Human Made favors local production, in Japan, for greater authenticity. The brand aims to be both simple and graphic, offering items with large, colorful logos and sans-serif fonts. The brand also produced the famous sneaker in collaboration with Pharrell Williams: the HMD Human Race X Human made . A pair featuring a mesh upper with embroidery, on a boost sole base, the technology of the brand with the three Adidas stripes. Following in Bape’s footsteps, Human Made aims to be a simple brand, reworking fashion classics in a streetwise way. Still making Nigo, at 52, an icon of the fashion industry.