mastermind JAPAN & BAPE Create "Tropical Skull Camo" in 16th Collection
The creative fusion of Hawaiian-style prints with the collaborators’ skull and ape mascots.
Summary
- BAPE and mastermind JAPAN collaborate for the 16th time with a new collection dropping on August 8.
- The duo delivers a new “Tropical Skull Camo” in a satin summer set and black graphic staples, including acid wash tees and trousers.
BAPE has united again with mastermind JAPAN for the 16th time, unveiling a new capsule centered on a “Tropical Skull Camo” theme. For this project, NIGO‘s ubiquitous streetwear label and Masaaki Homma‘s brand synthesize a new visual identity, juxtaposing BAPE’s playful camouflages and mastermind’s distinct dark aesthetic.
Leading the collection is a Tropical Skull Camo summer set comprising a camp collar button-up and a pair of matching shorts. The pattern covers the entire set, showing a backdrop of greyscale tropical foliage, embedded with mastermind’s skull and crossbones, and BAPE’s signature gorilla icon. Though the set has a gothic punk-esque quality, its satin fabric composition offers the wearer soft, lightweight feeling.
Graphic basics are elevated with unconventional laces at the hem and adorned with tonal black graphics that appear in a subtle shine. Other tees and trousers are finished with an acid wash, giving the garment’s lived-in quality. The artwork varies from piece to piece, with one graphic overlapping BAPE’s star logo with a skull beneath, and others separating the motifs to different panels of the garment.
The mastermind Japan x BAPE 16th collection will be released at Japan’s BAPE stores and webshop on August 8, 2025.
