A Bathing Ape, innovators in street style and culture, returned to New York City to host the BAPE HEADS SHOW in celebration of its 30th anniversary. Presenting over 100 looks from BAPE and its four sub-brands–AAPE, BAPE BLACK®, BAPY®, and APEE–the event lauded the intersection of fashion, music, and culture. 

The runway special, curated by creative director Polina Zakharova and produced by Svetlana Yermolayeva, guided the international audience through three decades of BAPE fashion “chapters.” Foundations of inspiration included dance, skating, music, and sports, and the collections were inspired by American collegiate, vintage, outdoors, and Y2K aesthetics.

Celebrities like Jalen Brown, Jalen Mills, Madeline Argy, Mia Khalifa, and Fiffany Luu sat front row, admiring the collection while the show was live-streamed to its global fans. Once the show concluded, Lil Baby and Coi Leray performed at the after-party as attendees celebrated the show’s success.

While the show was held in honor of its foundational styles and nostalgic classics, all five brands offered a uniquely modern and refreshing vibe for the upcoming Fall/Winter 23 season. Managing to keep a streamlined and cohesive aesthetic, the collections included a variety of themes without straying from BAPE’s signature relaxed style. Using checks, Pollock-esque brushstrokes, camouflage, and washed denim, BAPE successfully merged five different brands and tied them up nicely with a BAPE-branded ribbon.