Dreaming of a Black Christmas with BAPE X MASTERMIND JAPAN

Two of Japan’s finest join forces this Christmas Eve for the new BAPE X MASTERMIND JAPAN collection.

If your tastes run more towards ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ than ‘The Snowman’, then this capsule collection will be right up your dimly lit alley. BAPE is known for its love of camo, and mastermind JAPAN specialise in erratic capitalisation and black clothes with skulls on. So these legendary (and deeply influential) Japanese labels are the perfect antidote to hearing that effing Paul McCartney Christmas song over and over and over again at this time of year.

The new apparel collaboration – the two brand’s first in five years – is a literal mash-up of signature motifs: the BAPE ape head and the mastermind JAPAN skull-and-bones logo jostle for position on a selection of outerwear, hoodies and tees, layered over a mix-and-match patchwork of plain and camo panels executed in a dark and wintry colour palette. It might sound like there’s a lot going on visually here, but the results are surprisingly subtle coming from two brands that are seldom shy of a little in-your-face branding. The patchwork camo theme is particularly well executed, and the monochrome MA-1 bomber emblazoned with tonal skull and crossbones is a killer (get it?) take on this streetwear/fashion crossover staple.

The BAPE X MASTERMIND JAPAN collection is set to drop this SATURDAY 24 DECEMBER (aka Christmas Eve for the Scrooges out there) with END. and other select retailers. We’re predicting high demand for this one, especially after a five-year hiatus, so act fast and register your interest for the drop with END. by clicking on the banner below…