BAPE x Fendi Part 2 (New/Unseen Pictures)

Hey y'all...

I posted about the BAPE and Fendi collabo last month, and we wrapped it up for the most part, but I thought I'd throw more details in the mix. Particularly because the line wasn't made available commercially, I expect it will be of interest to some of the BAPE heads here.

One point of discussion the last time was the legitimacy of a hoodie I own as of late:



The prior owner claimed to have gotten it from an attendee at the Fendi x BAPE (?) party in Beijing (I don't know if the China event was exclusively Fendi, or a joint event). After I enquired further, he told me it had been worn by a DJ Muro for the event; I wasn't familiar with this individual prior to our conversation, but it turns out Muro is well-known in the realm of Japanese hip-hop. I was also told that he co-DJ-ed the event with Nigo (which I have been able to back up via news reports from third parties).

With the history seemingly legitimate, the other issue was the nature of the hoodie itself, as mine seemed different in color and shape than others pictured. However, I came across the following photo on Bapetalk:



That would seem to prove that my model was actually legitimately produced (regardless of how small the run was). After doing further research, I came up with another interesting find:



Looking at the previous two pictures, we see that at minimum, four different models were released:

- Purple trim (sleeves & bottom), dark gold back w/ large Fendi monogramme (Ryo & Ilmari, the two left Teriyaki Boyz)
- Tan trim (sleeves & bottom), light gold back w/ small Fendi monogramme (Wise & VERBAL, the two right Teriyaki Boyz)
- Purple- (sleeves) & tan trim (bottom), dark gold back w/ large Fendi monogramme (sleeves & pockets), light gold back w/ small Fendi monogramme (hood, bottom trim, torso & back) (Nigo)
- Tan- (sleeves) & purple trim (bottom), dark gold back w/ large Fendi monogramme (hood, bottom trim, torso & back), light gold back w/ small Fendi monogramme (sleeves & pockets) (Kanye West)

The only other thing in question is whether or not mine is real. Questions raised before involved the fabric, whether the hoodie was full-zip or not, and its tags. To address the first, it is a rigid material, quite different from what BAPE normally uses. The best way to think about the fabric is as a cross between that of a rain jacket, and that of a typical hoodie. The stitch-work is immaculate, and a close look at the fabric proves it is high quality. Given the right angle, it shows off a beautiful sheen in the light.

Earlier pictures seemed to indicate that the hoodie was full-zip, though not one picture has been found by me showing a Fendi hoody fully zipped up. Further inspection of the Nigo- and Kanye West photo above proves as much. If any doubts remain, two more looks at West's will help:



The final point was on tags and branding. The zipper is quite different in shape (and is not double-zip), but has the standard "BAPE" pressing on it. The only tag in the hoodie is to be found between seams in the bottom-left corner, and features the extremely tiny APE head on the front, with the size on the back (XL). A shot at this tag shows that there is indeed a black thread running between the layers (as good an indication of legitimacy as any):



There is no documentation available as to why no other tags are present, but again, this was never a public release. It was merely a chance to show BAPE off. Nigo wanted a shot in the high fashion world, and the Fendi collaboration gave him that opportunity; it was very superficial, and very external. Apart from limited exposure in fashion magazines and select online blogs, this wouldn't be seen in depth, so there was no need for more tag-work.

I don't know that anyone on this website (or any other, for that matter) has one of the Fendis, but I would absolutely love to find out. As for me, the hoodie was worth every yen paid.