BAPE WORKSHOP FINALLY OPEN!

[gamma888]

nyc location opened earlier today.

you might want to wait for a couple of weeks or so if you don't want to wait in the line for like an hour or so.

but great stuff inside...

[Dolo]

I thought the ONLY reason there was a line ws because their cash register broke and they weren't going to let anymore people in.

Edited by Dolo on Dec 13, 2004 at 07:44 AM

[sr20det]

wow, does anyone want to be geek enough to cap some pics for the rest of us to see how the store looks? keep it incognito! heh

"and we can find new ways of living make playing only logical harm"

[giant_ape]

I heard if you dress up in a gorilla suit, they let you right in!

if you're not new school, then you're a dropout!

[edwin]

anyone know if they have the puma bites that ape did? how much?

[wokka da 9 milla]

have they got the BAPE SHALL NEVER BITE BAPE sweat? its pretty hot .... i'll tuck em into my distressed lee denims....

[Tequila]

Would you spend close to $90 on this --> http://www.stay246.com/APE2/APE-T-NYC-megami4.jpg It's the 'commemorative' nyc launch tee.

OMGWTFLOL.

[MyMindSpray]

this is just my opinion, but i really don't like the idea of BAPE having a flagship store in NY...I use to be a fan of BAPE, but now it just seems like it's losing it's edge...and add to the fact that hiphop heads are feeling it, something just doesn't sit right....i was watching the Source awards the other night and saw Jermaine Dupri wearing a ( trucker and the Superman Bape sweat...not good...having a store in NY is gonna play the hell out of the brand (even more than it already is)...i still like some things they do, but i must say, to me, BAPE items are no longer on my wish list...

[FRESH]

I would not cop that "NYC Commerative Tee" for $90 becasue the design is wack; any 7th grader on photoshop or painter could make that shit in 3 minutes.. Just another gimmick

http://www.designwrk.com/

[JUPAFETT]

i think that graphic is on point. the symbol of new york blinded by bapestas...sounds about right.

IMO the concept is dope. what do i know i just sit behind a computer all day....

SHIT IS WACK

[BoardC3]

What are the prices like there for T shirts, sweats and shoes? And also where is the shop?

[hahnstch]

i couldnt remember the pricing for the t-shirts, but the sweats were probably close to 300 and there was a M65 like jacket selling for close to 600. didnt bother to check the prices for the kicks cos im not feeling for bapestas.. it's at 91 (? approximately) greene st. next to la perla

[peteyross]

I gotta say that Nigo's idea of exposing Bathing Ape to the hiphop world will be the downfall of his brand (if it hasn't fallen already). Whoever said it before, something about it doesn't sit right for those who have known the brand since its infancy in Japan.

I live only 2 subway stops from the new BAPE store in New York and I have to say, I don't feel the need the go check it out. The prices are still insane and I'd rather walk up the street to Stussy where you can get a clothing line with better appeal for much less money. Living in Japan about 4 years ago I caught the bug and I really wanted to pick up at least a t-shirt before coming back to America. I never did and now I'm really glad.

Who the hell would want to associate themselves with Jermaine Dupri? I can sorta see Pharrell but not Jermaine Dupri. Nigo has lost control of his scarce supply if Jermaine Dupri can rock this stuff. Come on Nigo, you gotta have a shorter leash on your brand then that!as If I can see Jermaine Dupri wearing it, then Bathing Ape has abandoned what made it famous -- the allure of scarcity. Sure their designs are alright but is a Paul Frank monkey t-shirt all THAT much different visually? Admittedly, the branding separates them but without good branding, what is Bathing Ape left with? It is official, it is now a faux pas to rock Bathing Ape.

[Dolo]

I can't believe you people judge what you wear by who the label associates themselves with and the availability of their product, INSTEAD of how nice their designs are. Bravo!

BAPE has always been hit or miss, regardless of who they associate themselves with. To be honest the only consistantly nice products BAPE has ever put out have been their Jackets. This is a company who's mascot is poorly made line art of a planet of the apes head.

Last I checked the store wasn't selling T-shirts yet. Or had sold out of them on opening day. The BapeStas are $195 including tax and that m-65 jacket was $750, not almost $600... and while waaaaay pricey and not worth it, is still sooooooo nice.

Like I said before, with the exception of the jackets and one hoodie that had sold out, most of what they had was "eh" at best. And if you do plan on buying something there, you better plan on bringing a few hundred.

Edited by Dolo on Dec 16, 2004 at 09:21 AM

[peteyross]

I think you should believe that people buy clothes upon who a label associates with because its very true. If you don't associate yourself with others who represent a brand's image then that is fine (and even commendable). However once they see you, most people from Atlanta will now associate you with a wackass rat looking producer.

BAPE t-shirt designs are somewhat amusing from time to time but I can gaurantee you this: You could take a monkey t-shirt from the Bronx Zoo and screen Baby Milo on it and place in the store next to all of the other t-shirts. Come to think of it, I am expecting Nigo to bite many of New York's attractions/landmarks the way he did with the Statue of Liberty already.

I used to think the relatively high price was justified by the fact that it was truly difficult to get an authentic item shipped to you in America. I never had a problem with the high prices in Japan either because well... everything in Japan costs alot. Now to see it alongside the rest of NY's quintessential streetwear stores, the prices just seem a little too ridiculous. I was expecting 150 for sweatshirts and 50-60 for t-shirts but I guess I was wrong.

[misteraven]

surprises me that people think that catering to hip hop is going to kill the label. when you consider ecko rakes in up over $350 million, sean john is topping $400 million, and the rest of urban apparel reflecting similar sales, what makes you think bape won't do the same? especially since their product is that much better quality/design? whether he sold out the core demographic that got bape the hype it now is capatilizing on is another story, but seriously... you think nigo really gives a shit about that, considering his life style and tastes? he's now on his way to be the coolest of the cool to a much broader and powerful echelon of consumers, and will probably be able to grow his company (and pockets) to a magnitude that makes his current wealth trivial.

i'm not saying he's making the right decision (or the wrong one for that matter), but when you think it through and realize the returns, you almost have to give him props for maintaining the patience and strategy to not have gone that route sooner. when he has a fleet of rolls royces (rather than just one), and a palacial apartments in the USA in addition to japan, as well as multi-platinum artists (and their respective power and wealth) hanging on his every move (as opposed to fashion victim japanese kids and hipsters), i doubt he'll look back with any regrets.

Edited by misteraven on Dec 16, 2004 at 10:29 AM

[peteyross]

I have to agree with you there that Nigo is certainly acting in the best interest of his pocket. Perhaps he even realizes that the Japanese kids he once relied upon have now grown tired of his brand and moved on. He has certainly arranged his company to make a grip load of cash and I cannot blame him one bit. He's running a business and the point of a business is to make money. I guess people like me should move on to another enigmatic brand that hasn't hit it big yet.

I just get riled up when people talk about the brilliance of his designs and how his screened t-shirts are like buying wearable modern art. The real brilliance behind Nigo is how he makes people chomp at the bit to get anything associated with Bape. Its just hard for me to then go buy his clothes for high prices when I feel like I see through his marketing techniques. I have too much pride to fall for that crap. Now if he made a t-shirt that came out of the washer looking new for 5 years, I'd say charge me $150. In reality, I dont' want to be Nigo's fool.

[Dolo]

see what i don't get is why everyone keep going on about pandering to the "Hip Hop Market".. like it's all of a sudden a huge change in direction from the core audience!

See, I always saw Bape as a "Hip Hop" based street-wear line, albeit a very japanese one that catered to people with alot more style and taste who i guess would label themselves as Hip hop heads... but still a hip hop market.

[dickhead]

so when can we expect XXXXXL t-shirts from BAPE and some Hockey jerseys? j/k

BTW, just for general info...Nigo doesn't design most of the tees himself.

I hate everything and everyone.

[Tequila]

Quote: "BTW, just for general info...Nigo doesn't design most of the tees himself."

Probably not, I kinda suspected this. He's just glad to collect the profits so he can swim in a sea of $$$. For me he still is the ultimate marketing/brand management genius, not a designer one.

Buying a crisp white tee with some small image for close to $100 seems silly to me. Hell, even a price tag of $50-60 (for a Diesel T for example) gets me seriously thinking. Although I'm still feeling some of the "designs", like this --> http://image.www.rakuten.co.jp/ace-web/img1038976194.jpeg or this --> http://image.www.rakuten.co.jp/ace-web/img1038975752.jpeg. But with this (http://image.www.rakuten.co.jp/ace-web/img10381024502.jpeg) or this (http://image.www.rakuten.co.jp/ace-web/img10381015578.jpeg) - sheesh! It seems like they're not even trying... 5 mins of work on the Photoshop.

[Dolo]

well go yell at stash for the last one...

i actually think the last one would look nice if it wasn't gold on white, but a brighter color over black.

[CL]

I can't say I can justify the pricing but one thing you have to keep in mind is that all of the tees are custom made, in Japan, which can cost a boatload. There is very little shrinkage and the quality is pretty damn good.

I have a few tees, they've been washed and worn alot and still look great. Also manufacturing in Japan where all the stuff like the jackets are made is super expensive, but it is some of the tightest stuff out there, once you ship it out of Japan the price gets even more crazy. If know the wholesale costs a bit then you kind of know why the prices are what they are, plus you add the small amount of stuff made and the price bumps up again.

I'm not loving or hating on it nor am I trying to defend the brand, just a perspective.

[dickhead]

erm...do you actually know how many percent on average the retail price of a BAPE tee is increased from the cost of production? And there are many tee-shirts out there with similar qualities or even better that don't even cost half as much as a Bape tee-shirt.

If you have done your research and know Nigo's strategy thoroughly well from day one since he started, you'll know that his justification for the high price is that as long as he makes it hard to get and limited, people(dumb) will be willing to fork out money like nobody's business...and in Japan, basically the majority of the youth. Sorry, it's blunt but everyone who knows Japan knows it's the truth.

I hate everything and everyone.

[daryl]

i agree with CL, to somewhat justify the cost, the quality of the t-shirts are (or at least were) a notch above your average/above average t-shirt.

(btw, i'm no t-shirt/textiles expert, this is just what i've experienced)

i have a couple of shirts that i got a year and a half/2 years ago that have been washed and worn plenty of times and they pretty much retained the same shape with no real shrinking and with no sign of the screened graphic cracking or fading. when i place them in comparison to other t-shirts bought and worn just as frequently, you can see a difference (even up against my atmos t-shirt which i believe is also a japanese manufactured/printed tee). they seemed to of paid attention to the t-shirt material, (my black t-shirt is still black) to the stitching, to the screened graphic.

however i do think that most of the stuff that comes out is just recycled/slightly varied versions of the same ape logo/theme they've had for years. i haven't seen much innovation on the part of nigo or his designers. this is why don't have any inclination to buy anything from the brand these days. at least not at what they're charging.

as for the jermaine dupri rocking bape thing..i don't care. there are a lot of people that i don't like/admire/care about that wear/have plenty of stuff that i might have as well.

[dickhead]

I'ma go bang my head against the wall now.

I hate everything and everyone.

[por vida]

I actually dont have a problem with him opening a store in NY. It seems to be the next logical step after Japan/HK and london. Where else is he relaly going to go. He could choose to not open a store here and try and please the 200 people in the states who used to care about the brand, but what good is that going to do him. The 10-20 pieces of clothing he was selling at recon was a good reason not to ceom here.

Yeah there are a lot more people wearing the brand but if you go past that for a second the quality that comes of of Bape on a regular basis far surpases any of the other street brands in NY. A lot of the other brands just dont relaly have teh capabilities to make some of the stuff the way Bathing ape does. Some of the tee designs are not always great but that is the case with any brand. Name one company that always has nice graphics. Its a hard thing to do. If Bape just had Stash stop doing graphics for them that would be a start.

The prices are high but thats how it is in Japan and think it good that Nigo didnt change his game plan over here.

[misteraven]

to be honest, i'm not at all a fan of the quality in terms of the blank itself. i've owned several and most tend to twist and shrink unevenly after washing kinda like the fabric isn't preshrunk or prewashed. the actual printing on the other hand, is superb. the level of detail and sick registration in screenprints that at times include a half dozen inks or more is sick. the bape vs kaws tee that had the bape camo pattern outline of kaws' running chum character is an example of how on point the print quality is. i also happen to like the addition of the woven label on the sleeve since most companies don't bother. perhaps not enough to justify the price points being charged, but none the less...

oh yeah, the color blended blanks they were doing afew years back we're kinda nice as well.

[misteraven]

por vida:

i'd have to disagree with your statements on quality. though i don't generally wear ecko personally, their print quality is sick. granted the majority of their tees are simply margin building, simple graphics of their rhino logo (core shirts), they do dress them up with a handful of intricately illustrated and printed concept tees (crucial shirts). many of these incorporate as many as 14 screens and multiple processes and techniques including 6 - 8 color process prints, with spot colors, mixed with gel and high density inks. granted their pretty over the top, but the manufacturing involves industry leading techniques and quality. the ultra-oversized, urban cut blanks are another story.

[misteraven]

what i find more insulting are the ragged out looking, one color printed tees put out by rogan and some others. no design considerations, just straight text or clip art. truthfully, they'd be easilly confused with abercrombie & fitch if abercrombie didn't design every graphic around their brand name. and then charge $60 for them... to me that's some hard faced shit to do.

yet i forgive them for their $160 hoodies cause those are on point and worth the loot, in my opinion.

Edited by misteraven on Dec 16, 2004 at 03:38 PM

[frogeyes]

If you don't wann rock the BAPE, don't. If you wanna buy it, buy it. Simple as that. No one gives a shit about how many screens are on it, stitching, cotton weight, glitter, whatever. if you want bape, but it, if you want Lee jeans, but them. who cares.

it's a nice shop, skatething designed some good and some bad stuff and you take it with a grain of salt and a bag of cash. If you don't have the cash and doslike the brand, don't hate. Just don't go into the shp and bitch about it. Go to supreme, alife, ssur, recon, etc.

it's all good.