A Bathing Ape is taking a dip in Singapore’s streetwear tub again. Will it stay afloat?

Four years ago, when they left our market, the impression we had was that they were out for good. But it now turns out otherwise. Two weeks back, A Bathing Ape has washed itself ashore. Interestingly, they are back to where they started: The Mandarin Gallery. But now, they have a ground level, street facing unit, with a façade that suggests a two-level store. There is more of an upmarket vibe this time, with an elongated space that stretched to the central walkway of the mall in the rear. The store front sports the recognisable Ape Head at the very top and a video screen beneath that plays images of the brand’s distinctive ABC camouflage prints in a loop. This is planet of one ape, through and through.

A Bathing Ape’s return has nothing to do with former distributor and retailer Kwang Sia. The store is now managed by parent company I.T Group through its imprint I.T SEA Holdings (ITSH), based in Kuala Lumpur. ITSH operates one A Bathing Ape store in Suria KLCC, an Aape store in Mid Valley Megamall, and supposedly distributes the American streetwear brand Undefeated. It is unclear if I.T Group’s house brands are available in Malaysia. What is interesting is that in March last year, the Malaysian bag brand Bonia—yes, that Bonia (also the company that resuscitated Braun Büffel)—proposed a 30 percent acquisition of ITSH for RM7.5 million (or about S$2.26 million) which was confirmed in July. While it appears that Bonia joining an enterprise that’s so different from their core business is odd, the company did say that the investment “will complement and increase Bonia’s range of product offerings to provide a wider assortment of products”.

Just as A Bathing Ape pulled out of our market, The I.T Group, too, left out shores, with their multi-brand retail presence scaled back and finally ceased operations in late 2010s, after their first i.t multi-label store in Wisma Atria in 2013 and then at Orchard Gateway a year later. The group’s foray into Singapore was a joint venture with Wing Tai Retail. I.T’s exploration of markets outside their base in Hong Kong, where they are heavily reliant on physical stores, is to pursue growth that has somewhat stagnated back home. Apart from profound changes in the retail landscape there, significant challenges include the shadow of past political and social unrest, the COVID-19 pandemic and, significantly, reliance on mainland Chinese tourists, whose numbers are greatly reduced, directly impacting sales.

Presently, the rebirth of A Bathing Ape here is managed by Infinite 23, a 70%-owned subsidiary of ITSH. It also operates the Aape store at 313@Somerset. Remembering the long queues at A Bathing Ape’s last days in 2021, there is a possibility that the brand has not lost its popularity and fans will find comfort in the generally unchanged—and a tad predictable—merchandise mix that relies on established icons. Post-Nigo (the founder), under the I.T Group’s ownership, the brand has largely focused on leveraging its most recognisable and successful designs, including the ABC camo, the Ape Head logo, and the Shark hoodie. These are the brand’s heritage, and conscientious consistency is clearly preferred over radical innovation. While some long-time enthusiasts might lament the lack of ground-breaking novelty, A Bathing Ape’s new store holds on to its commercial relevance and brand recognition by not changing its bath water.

Photos: Galerie Gombak