Founded in the 90s, 'A Bathing Ape' was conceived from Nigo's love of rap music and streetwear culture. Born as Tomoaki Nagao, Nigo embarked on his fashion career at Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo, where he crossed paths with Hiroshi Fujiwara. The duo opened NOWHERE Store in 1993. Transitioning from a label known only to those in the know, distributed exclusively within Tokyo's Harajuku district, it became one of the most internationally recognised streetwear icons. Named after two key sources of inspiration, a five-hour marathon of the 1968 film "Planet of the Apes" and the Japanese phrase 'a bathing ape in lukewarm water,' commonly used to describe young people who overindulge. Bape was conceived from the 'ura-Harajuku' movement, an underground Harajuku movement deeply influenced by classic Americana and science fiction.