AMBUSH® and BAPE® have collaborated to bring a wild collection for Spring 2010 - A Bathing Ape® is AMBUS®ed. AMBUSH® creators Yoon and Verbal, who started the line in 2008, are more than just designers as Verbal also busies himself as an MC and producer and Yoon is multi-skilled as a stylist, DJ and PR for Billionaire Boys Club and ICE CREAM®. We fired some questions at the pair to find out what inspires them and how they ended up collaborating with NIGO® and BAPE®.
WONDERLAND: How did the collaboration with A Bathing Ape come about?
VERBAL: I was on the road with NIGO for the TERIYAKI BOYZ tour last year, and he asked me if I was interested to work on the accessories for the next season’s collection. YOON and I were totally excited, and so we came up with a few ideas for chains and rings right away… then we asked if we can do some T-shirts as well… then sneakers… and it eventually became a whole collaboration line of its own!
The theme is Mad Science – what was the inspiration behind the theme?
YOON: BAPE has always had a clean-cut image, and already had a lot of cool collaborations in the past, so we wanted to… ambush it !!! I’m totally into B-rated horror movies, and VERBAL’s into all this Sci-Fi stuff, so we basically applied our inspirations into the designs. Like how a mad scientist would apply his weird ideas and come up with a creation… a monster!!!
What is the maddest design in the collaboration?
Y: There’s little bit of madness in all of it, but we would say the MILO BRAIN RING and Half Shark, Half Human Half Alligator hoodie.
V: There was already a MILO, but we let the brains show… BAPE already had a Shark Parka, but we made it half-alligator, an homage to Dr. Octagon (Kool Keith). Twisted but witty, that’s how we wanted to do it!
What was the inspiration behind AMBUSH® when you first launched?
V: Antonio Murphy & Astro was my high-end jewelry line, making all these crazy pieces (Jesus-piece looking “MJ” piece, the big diamond POW! ring, etc.). It was fun, but I wanted to make pieces that were bold and fun, good design and quality, but accessible to more people, so I launched AMBUSH in 2008. It opened doors to more design ideas because we were now using more than precious metals and stones to express ourselves.
You’re both involved in the music scene, do you have any musical collaborations in the pipe line?
V: Working on my solo album now! Also, you might be hearing YOON singing on some record some time in the near future…
Do you find music inspires your designs?
Y: Absolutely! It always starts with music! It’s the first thing we turn on when we step into the studio and last thing we turn off.
What has been your favourite music track of the last year?
Y: Poker Face - Lady Gaga! I think I sang this song over 100 times at Karaoke already!!! LOL
V: Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Beggin’.
Do you think it is easier to work on music or designs?
Y: I won’t say which is easier. Creating anything creative is a process and sometimes ideas come faster and sometimes you go through designer/producer’s block for days. It all depends on how inspired we were at that moment and how quickly we can put it into shape.
V: When I get stuck with music, I design. When I can’t come up with designs, I hit the studio. They go hand in hand!
What is next for AMBUSH®?
More collaborations coming up!!!
Have you ever been ambushed?
EVERY DAY!
To order A Bathing Ape® is AMBUS®ed in the UK, please call +44(0)2074342541 or visit the A Bathing Ape store in London; 4 Upper James st, W1F 9DG.
