Two of Japan’s fashion heavyweights, A Bathing Ape (BAPE) and COMME des GARÇONS, have announced an exciting collaborative project. Retail space for BAPE will be launched inside the new COMME des GARÇONS OSAKA—which will be relocating to one of Osaka’s main shopping streets, Mido-suji, in Shinsaibashi.
No stranger to collaborations, BAPE has already teamed up with a variety of brands this year including Levi’s, Coach, and mastermind JAPAN. Meanwhile, COMME des GARÇONS has done collaborations with Converse for a new line of spring colored Chuck 70s, New Balance for Made in USA RC1300s, and Nike for a new Air Force 1 and ultra-sleek Waffle Racer.
The store-in-store BAPE will be housed on the first floor of the COMME des GARÇONS OSAKA, designed by COMME des GARÇONS’ founder Rei Kawakubo. To commemorate the event, an exclusive line of co-produced products will be launched exclusively for pre-sale at the store’s opening and on BAPE.com on Friday, April 3rd. It will be available at other locations beginning the following day, April 4th.
The line-up consists of cardigans, sweaters, t-shirts, long sleeves, polo shirts, button-up shirts, and zip-up hoodies—ranging in price from ¥5,800 for the patch tees to ¥21,500 for the zip hoodies. All items are made in Japan.
The majority of the collection is focussed on neutral tones—with most of the pieces available in black, white, and grey—the vibrancy of the red featured in the logo design and on the patch tee (both the short and long sleeve versions) maintains BAPE’s signature streetwear aesthetic.
The newest release is a continuation of BAPE’s minimalistic “b” COLLECTION. After debuting in 2019, the new “b” COLLECTION features a series of high-quality, minimalistic items with the signature BAPE brand text fused with the iconic ape head logo.
The “b” motif from last year will be joined by the addition of an “a” motif for this season. The genderless pieces from the new collection are designed to become wardrobe staples, able to be effortlessly incorporated into everyday looks while maintaining a simple but stylish aesthetic.
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