When Nigo walked away from A Bathing Ape in 2011, a lot of fans of the Japanese streetwear giant were worried that the brand would not survive or maintain its quality and identity without the founder at the helm. They needn't have worried though, because BAPE continues to thrive under the ownership of iTHK, who also work with Comme des Garçons, Maison Margiela, and Virgil Abloh's Off-White, among others.
The new luxury collection BAPE BLACK, which was teased last week, mixes streetwear essentials with premium quality materials—leather, neoprene, and Swarovski crystals all feature throughout—and draws inspiration from the many iconic A Bathing Ape logos. Black and gold dominate the collection, across knitwear, T-shirts, leggings, shorts, and jackets, with a gold plated New Era snapback also featuring in the collection.
Prices for the collection range from £211 to £3,300 (about $311 to $4,869), and it launches globally at Dover Street Market locations in London, New York, and Beijing, and at Hong Kong's I.T Hysan One on March 28. Dover Street Market London will also be playing host to an exclusive A Bathing Ape installation starting March 24.
Check out the rest of the collection below, and get ready to drop that dollar.
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UPDATE 3/27: Dover Street Market New York has posted images of the installation that coincides with this collection. Much like the blinged-out line, the installation heavily features gold in both the large Ape Heads and the cages containing the logo. Take a look through the images below.
