It may be the first ever collaboration between the pair but BAPE and Russell Athletic have offered us up some instant classics on first attempt. The two brands have joined forces this winter to produce a stellar set of camo pieces inspired by eighties hip-hop and skateboard culture. So, on that basis, if you take a little of Tony Hawk and add a dollop of De La Soul, it seems you’ll have a recipe for stylish streetwear.
Russell Athletic boast more than 100 years of experience in designing and producing innovative pieces for athletes. Teaming up with A Bathing Ape, the Japanese fashionistas have splashed their own style onto the US classic sport aesthetic to produce a brilliantly colourful, camouflage which makes you feel comfy just by looking at.
This collaboration has produced a varsity jacket, coach jacket pullover hoodie, crew neck sweater, long and short sleeve t-shirts and pants. As Calvin Harris once sang, ‘I’ve got love for you if you were born in the eighties’ and we absolutely love these pieces inspired by the era. Reviving a golden age of hip-hop that was packed with casual sportswear in loose cuts - we’re instantly thinking of Run DMC and the Beastie Boys too now - the two brands have gone back in time to produce a truly modern look which is as cool today as it was thirty-plus years ago.
The pieces come in American red, white and blue and are instantly striking on the red, black and blue camo patterns. Combining American sportswear with edgy Japanese streetwear, this is a match made in style heaven.
Combining the logos and eagle head onto the range, it also includes iconic motifs including ‘0293’ which merges the founding years of the two brands (Russell Athletic started in 1902 and BAPE began in 1993). Back in the eighties everything was big and brash and that has been incorporated with the use of enormous embroidery on the pieces meaning it really stands out.
The Camo College Coach Jacket is £309 and the rest of the collection can be found here.
