Design Museum
£16
If streetwear is a religion, Nigo is one of its deities. The man behind A Bathing Ape (Bape, for short) is worshipped by hypebeasts the world over, not only for his pioneering approach to streetwear but also for his cultural footprint. Inextricably linked to hip hop – Nigo is besties with Pharell, and everyone from Biggie Smalls to Drake and Lil Wayne have donned his designs – the Japanese designer’s work is characterised by bold camo prints, Warholian pop-culture references and brash graphics.
For the first time, the man behind Bape and Human Made, and the creative director of Kenzo since 2021, has his own London retrospective. The Design Museum’s exhibition features 700 objects – 600 of which come from Nigo’s personal archive – including records, toys, magazines, music videos and a whole lotta clothes, spanning the ‘80s to the present day.
Nigo: From Japan With Love starts with a joyful recreation of the designer’s teenage bedroom – a dream of an ‘80s boudoir displaying Nigo’s own teenage relics: a lava lamp, a Kangol hat, stacks of hip hop records and his very first vintage piece – a shredded Levi’s type II denim jacket. It then moves through a selection of his most treasured objects, which range from Star Wars figurines to a Mr Peanut canvas jacket, and an absolutely amazing 1970s McDonald’s uniform from Hawaii, where the traditional flowers of the Hawaiian shirt are replaced by illustrations of burgers, fries and shakes. His obsession with Americana and vintage workwear is apparent from the start.
Then, it’s what we’ve all come for, the Bape section. We discover the brand’s origins, including bits about Nigo’s first-ever store, Nowhere. There’s some interesting context given to the Ura-Hara scene – the nickname given to the Tokyo backstreets that have been home to edgy streetwear stores since the ‘90s. Luxurious-feeling and brightly lit displays encase rarely seen early-era Bape T-shirts, varsity jackets and sporty sweatshirts. Bape-heads will go mad for the selection of iconic shark hoodies as well as sections dedicated to the signature camo print and the infamous Bape Sta trainer (Nike sued Nigo for the design, which looks a lot like an Air Force 1, in 2023).
Hypebeast culture gets pretty much skipped over. I would have been interested to hear more about the famously hysteria-driven streetwear fandoms. Later sections start to feel like glossy adverts for Nigo’s work. It’s less explorative of the culture and more: look at all these amazing accomplishments. In some well-planned timing, the exhibition is opening just in time for the launch of the Nigo x Nike Air Force 1 collab – there is a display dedicated to his work with Nike, lawsuits aside. Selections from Nigo’s 2026 collaboration with Louis Vuitton by Pharrell Williams are also on show; think preppy knitwear with yellow ducks embroidered on the chest, and LV monogram luggage with silhouetted portraits of Pharrell and Nigo painted over the top.
Still, Nigo has a lot to be credited with. A true innovator, he invented the ‘scarcity by design’ streetwear model, although back then they weren’t called ‘drops’ and he initially started his micro collections (sometimes commissioning only five pieces) to cut costs. He’s revealed as a marketing genius with a meticulous eye for detail and a relentless drive. And Nigo’s more classic, Japan-inflected designs for Kenzo are beautiful. Even if you can’t stomach the colourful - and sometimes childish - aesthetics of Bape, you’ll leave Nigo: From Japan with Love with a newfound appreciation for the iconoclastic designer.
