Lifestyle Architect Nigo Furthers Brand with BAPE KIDS Concept Store in Tokyo

Nigo® continues his quest to make BAPE®, an acronym for A Bathing Ape®, an unmistakable brand. In addition to his myriad of stores in Taipei, Hong Kong, New York, and London, Nigo has stamped his name on a café, a hair salon, a gallery, and several luxury items including a line of sunglasses for Louis Vuitton, a collaborative effort with super producer, Pharrell Williams. His latest venture, the BAPE KIDS store which opened in Tokyo, appeals to a second generation of BAPE wearers, and even though its target consumer is pint-sized, the store is big on style. The store contains a pit of colorful foam bananas for children to play while parents shop. Nigo® has cultivated a brand that reflects a certain kind of lifestyle—one of perpetual youth and vitality infused with hip-hop and a laidback approach to life. BAPE's logo and themes are derived from the Planet of the Apes movie series, while the brand's name is a based on a Japanese expression, "bathing like an ape in lukewarm water", describing the comfortable lifestyle of today's youth in Japan. BAPE has reached cult status within its ten years in operation and continues to keep up the momentum by adopting limited-edition and exclusivity business strategies. BAPE’s two-tier official member's card club, which is only open to residents of Japan, has added to the brand’s cache. Projects in development for the BAPE brand: a BAPE hotel.

Jay’s New Hue

Jay-Z has lent his synergistic, brand-enhancing power to General Motors (GM). The two teamed up to release the Jay-Z Blue Yukon Denali SUV. The concept vehicle made its debut during the media previews for the North American Auto Show in Detroit. Other attendees include Jennifer Hudson, Vivica A. Fox, Rosie Perez, Nick Lachey, Carmen Electra, and Mario Lopez (um, “AC Slater” from Saved by the Bell). Shawn Carter worked with GM’s global color studio to create a color reflective of his personal taste GM execs hope to appeal to a younger market and boost sales with this endeavor.