YOUR opinion about A BATHING APE

[Fstar TT]

Over the years I've bought some A bathing Ape (Bapes, Baby Milo..) items and I'm not worshipping the brand, but I (still) like the brand, at least some designs (in my opinion even a good brand has just a few items that are worth buying). It sold millions, so I must not be the only one, but I've also noticed a lot of anti-Bape reactions as well, what made me curious to know who likes or dislikes the brand and especially for what reason.

At least I think Bape is quite a fascinating phenomenon: Is there a strong idea behind it or is it nothing more than just a few prints and imitations, did it become big because of devoted designers behind it or is it just smart marketing.. or is Nigo playing around with all these values etcetc. I've already been able to read a lot of opinions, but as far as I know the topic itself wasn't asking for an opinion.

I do agree there's a bit of a Bape-overload in some parts of the world. I can imagine that people in Japan/Tokyo are a bit bored of it. Also the over-exposure in the (American) hiphopscene and many other celebrities wearing it, might almost want you to forget about the brand, because it almost looks like you wanna imitate them or at least because it loses it's 'exclusivity'. I know worldwide it's not the 'newest underground' brand anymore, but here in The Netherlands (Amsterdam) still not that many people know and wear the brand. Besides, wearing a brand because it's 'unknown & underground' shouldn't be the only reason, although I must admit that if everybody here, from slick celebrities to the big masses, was gonna wear it, that that wouldn't make the brand more appealing to me.

I can imagine people don't like Bapes for reasons like:

1. just because they don't like it.

2. it's mostly based on existing designs.

3. too expensive.

4. over-hyped.

5. too childish.

1. I can imagine that people just don't like it, tastes differ.

2. I actually like the fact that it's all based on already existing designs. Maybe he doesn't know any better, but it does reflex today's world: almost everything already exists and we're just reinventing the same things over and over again. Like Andy Warhol made mass-production paintings/silkscreen-prints in a time that mass-production became big. He owns a lot of Andy Warhols', so he might have thought about it... But maybe I'm getting too deep )

3. Some items are indeed overpriced, but I don't think that for example the sneakers are that much more expensive (if you buy them from official stores) than other brands I buy. And maybe some items are worth the price, to have 1 Bape item that hardly anybody has instead of 2 or 3 items of another cheaper brand that everybody wears. Of course it's very likely also just a marketing trick, to show off you can afford it, but in the end it's like that with most popular brands.

4. If you like Bapes or not, you must admit Nigo is a pretty good business man.

5. It is a little childish, but who wants to grow up, let's keep our 'inner child' alive )

Blahblahblah..........

Superbored as I am right now, I'm just curious what others think, but in the end it's just about a brand, not war, so keep in mind:

APE SHALL NEVER KILL APE

F*CKING WHATEVER

[DJ_Flame]

Its more of the attitude of the people wearing bape than bape itself that digusts me.

[Fstar TT]

Quote:

Its more of the attitude of the people wearing bape than bape itself that digusts me.

--- Original message by DJ_Flame on Nov 24, 2005 10:24 PM

If it becomes too much of a hype I can imagine that the a lot of people with an attitude problem are gonna wear it, but again, here in The Netherlands it's still quite unknown and therefore not associated with a 'wannabe-attitude'.. as far as I know

I just like to buy shirts from (graphic) designers/artists from all over the world. The only difference between most of these brands and Bape is that Bape is much more expensive and because of that it might get worn by people just for the fact that it is expensive.

So fortunetly it's not hyped here yet, but I do see it more and more often on TV (MTV) worn by people I'm not sure if I wanna be associated with.. so I do understand your argument

F*CKING WHATEVER

[amplifi3d]

Alot of people hate just because. That's the bottom line.

[Fstar TT]

Quote:

Alot of people hate just because. That's the bottom line.

--- Original message by amplifi3d on Nov 24, 2005 11:03 PM

snif... I don't wanna be hated...

which COUNTRIES do you all live?

Or is it just hate worldwide? snif..

F*CKING WHATEVER

[amplifi3d]

US specifically hawaii.

[Fstar TT]

Quote:

US specifically hawaii.

--- Original message by amplifi3d on Nov 24, 2005 11:21 PM

ah ok,

I guess on the North America continent there might be an over-exposure of Bape with half of the hiphopscene and other celebrities wearing it, followed by.. followers

Singapore: overload

Japan: overload?

F*CKING WHATEVER

[The Omar Administration]

Nice camo.

That about it.

[horriblyjollyjinx]

I don't hate bape, but the people that buy or want to buy bape annoy me because bapes stuff is just so BAD and the people who buy it are so extremely dumbfounded that they don't understand that they're getting scammed and actually make up reasons why bape is worth its price.

SOME GIRLS ARE BIGGER THAN OTHERS

[Guest Berget__]

I think BAPE looks cool if your into hiphop and that style. Like the Bapestas and stuff like that. I'll probably never buy anything from BAPE though

I aint gotta get money man money get me

[youwish]

I like a bathing ape but the hype kinda ruins it sometimes. Plus I work in a Detroit mall and see fakes on almost a daily basis which makes me not want to buy the stuff anymore.

The designs are still pretty tight.

Bapesta's are played but still look sick on the right people.

It takes strength to be gentle and kind.

[Ryan]

*hands out late passes*

ok lets be real. theyre knock offs. expensive yes. but theyre knock offs.

some of the same people who decry fakes love bapestas,which are are af-1 KNOCKOFFS

its even more laughable when people complain about fake bapes, a knockoff of a knockoff.

people are funny.

[6MT]

i thought we already went thru this issue for like the 1000000 times

but it really is the people who buys the product piss me off, so arrogant and taste-less spend 150 on a plain white shirt. i guess its a capitalis society u get to do what ever u want.

[Fstar TT]

In the end everything is a knock-off. With Bape it's quite obvious, but he also doesn't pretend it's a totally different design. I rather see it as playing around with existing popular design/images. Nothing totally new, but just giving it a twist.

The biggest problem is probably indeed the hype and attitude around it, which spoils it. The high prices attract the wrong attitude. And a lot of fakes.

A lot of brands have been killed like that here in The Netherlands. Once worn by people just to show off and the appearance of a lot of imitations, you don't really want to be associated with it anymore.

A pity, hope it doesn't get that far too soon here.

F*CKING WHATEVER

[SENDkylHISPASSWORD]

[imisssefler]

i know bape is very much over hyped, especially the stuff that is "childish" or very loud. i've never been much for brands that basically make you a walking billboard and bape is one of the best examples of that. But I gotta admit, I love that animal kingdom hoodie and the chomper hoodie is looking pretty hot to me. they're just very 'neat'. those patent dot bapestas weren't too bad either.

[Fstar TT]

nice pict )

F*CKING WHATEVER

[Buqoo]

I used to love bape before because the red camoflag attracted me. So I bought eventhing in red camo item last year. the zip up , cap , shirt etc...

Yes I admited nigo is a great business man, but watsoever he is raping our money. he made eventhing exlcusive last year and he released everything in the same desgin this year with a huge stock.

so over all I don like bape

I luv everything

[Buqoo]

this kind of topic going around everyday that makes me hate the bape

I luv everything

[greentalks43]

marketing genius

"Patience, both we and our words are overproduced by influence"

[Corbin Law]

Quote:

--- Original message by SENDkylHISPASSWORD on Nov 25, 2005 05:18 PM

this picture says

i spent 1000 usd on this bape shirt.....now lets make love.

chwa?

[Fstar TT]

Maybe we should forget about this topic, indeed everything has been said about it by now.

Simple conclusion: Either you (still) like Bape or you don't like Bape (anymore) for different reasons.

F*CKING WHATEVER