Generating Hype

Nigo and Pharrell Williams

“Haters get mad ‘cus/I got me some Bathin’ Apes” - Crank Dat, Soula Boy

On a recent shopping trip in SoHo, New York’s fashion district, there was one store that had a particularly long line: the Japanese streetwear brand, Bape.

Bape’s founder, Tomoaki Nagao better known as Nigo, a highly regarded DJ in Japan, used his status in Japan’s underground hip-hop scene to start his clothing line. Nigo created 50 shirts a week and gave half to his most influential and stylish friends. As Bape’s popularity increased, production was limited to meet only 10% of demand, while access to stores was exclusive - requiring customers to apply for entry.

Learning different crafts can be fun and help one gain skills that can be applied in other domains. Fashion entrepreneurs and designers are masters in generating hype and building a brand. As in Nigo’s case, the Scarcity principle is a fashion designer’s main weapon.