HUGO x Mr. Bathing Ape: City life-inspired collaboration launches in the heart of London

WAVE magazine teamed up with HUGO and Mr. Bathing Ape to host the launch of their new collaborative collection, bringing it to life with a performance from M Huncho.

Words by Patrick Fennelly

Amalgamating Berlin nightlife culture, Tokyo’s unique streetwear legacy and British tailoring, HUGO and Mr. Bathing Ape celebrated their exclusive drop at FLANNELS on June 15, with a host of musicians, actors and creatives heading down to preview the limited-edition collection. 

A cross-cultural collaboration, the capsule epitomises HUGO’s rule-breaking and risk-taking principles, combined with Mr. Bathing Ape’s innovative contemporary aesthetic. 

 

In-line with the capsule’s city life inspiration, WAVE magazine brought the crowd to central London, marking the launch in style with our community of friends and family sporting new pieces from the collection, as well as HUGO classics.

Rappers AJ Tracey, Not3s and Flohio, and Top Boy stars Hope Ikpoku Jr and Kadeem Ramsay, were among the guests welcomed with a champagne reception, as Joce Wavy kicked things off spinning a mix of hip-hop, bashment, Afrobeats and more. 

Next up M Huncho touched the mic, performing tracks from his recently-released debut album, Chasing Euphoria, dressed in an exclusive HUGO x Mr. Bathing Ape tracksuit, designed with grey splashes of BAPE’s signature camo pattern. 

Reflecting the brutalist concrete of the inner-city, the grey print also lines the collection’s tailored jackets and adorns its oversized hoodies, embellished by stamps of HUGO red.

Following M Huncho’s performance, Joce Wavy returned to decks to continue the celebrations, matching Berlin’s nocturnal energy and transforming the bottom floor of the FLANNELS London flagship store into a party worthy of the German city’s infamous nightclubs. 

The Pre-Fall 2022 collection also includes a reinterpretation of the iconic BAPESTA sneaker, which was on display at the Oxford Street store alongside logo T-shirts, hoodies, jackets, shorts, sweatpants and bodywear basics, as well as accessories including caps, socks, pocket squares and skateboard decks.

 

First unveiled at metaverse event, ComplexLand 3.0, in May, where participants had the opportunity to create their own retail experience while shopping selected capsule pieces in the custom pop-up store, the collection was also HUGO’s debut in the virtual retail space. 

Now available at FLANNELS and online, the surprisingly compatible collaboration, which sees HUGO and Mr. Bathing Ape aim to become authorities of bold streetwear style, is due to be a summer style staple with an international influence. 

Shop the full collection here