Nigo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nigo
ニゴー |
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Nigo, 2006
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Tomoaki Nagao (長尾 智明) |
| Also known as |
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| Born | December 23, 1970 |
| Origin | Maebashi, Japan |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Years active | 1993–present |
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Nigö (ニゴー, Nigō, born Tomoaki Nagao (長尾 智明) on December 23, 1970) is a famous Japanese fashion designer, disc jockey (DJ), and record producer. He is also an entrepreneur, which means he starts and runs businesses. Nigo is best known for creating the popular streetwear brand called A Bathing Ape, often shortened to Bape.
Today, he works as the artistic director for the fashion brand Kenzo. He is also a member of the Japanese music group Teriyaki Boyz. He has been their official DJ since the group started in 2005.
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Nigo's Fashion Journey
Nigo's adventure in fashion began with a small store. He sold a few Bape T-shirts and hoodies with camouflage prints. These clothes quickly became very popular, especially among teenagers.
In 2002, Nigo launched the Bapesta sneaker. This shoe became a highly desired item for collectors. The Bapesta sneaker looks similar to Nike's Air Force 1 design. However, instead of the Nike "swoosh" logo, it features Nigo's unique Bapesta logo. This logo is a star with a lightning bolt coming out of it.
Nigo started his first company, Nowhere, on April 1, 1993. Later, he decided to move on from designing for Bape. He then started his own new company called Nigold on April 4, 2009.
In 2003, Nigo teamed up with musician Pharrell Williams. Together, they created two more streetwear brands: Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream footwear.
Nigo continued to create new things. In 2010, he launched his own brand called Human Made. In 2014, he became the creative director for Uniqlo's UT brand. This role involved overseeing the designs for their T-shirt collections.
In 2020, Nigo worked with the luxury brand Louis Vuitton. He collaborated with designer Virgil Abloh to create a special collection of clothing and accessories. In September 2021, Nigo was chosen to be the new artistic director for the fashion brand Kenzo.
Music and Entertainment Career
Nigo has worked with many famous rap and hip hop artists. These include Kanye West and Pharrell Williams. He is the DJ for the Japanese hip hop group Teriyaki Boyz. Nigo also owns his own record label, which is called Bape Sounds. He even created his own show on MTV Japan called Nigoldeneye.
Nigo also produces and manages music groups. He worked with Watanabe Junnosuke to manage the female pop group Billie Idle. His work with them started in 2014. He directed a music video for another group called BiS. After BiS broke up, Nigo and Watanabe invited two of its members to join their new project, Billie Idle. The group released their first album, "Idle Gossip," in 2014. Nigo was the main producer for this album.
On January 28, 2022, Nigo released a song called "Arya" with ASAP Rocky. This song was the first single from Nigo's album, I Know Nigo!. The album came out on March 25, 2022. It was Nigo's first solo album since 2005. Pharrell Williams helped Nigo produce I Know Nigo!. They had worked together almost 20 years earlier. The album also featured other artists like Kid Cudi, Tyler, the Creator, Clipse, Gunna, Teriyaki Boyz, ASAP Ferg, Pusha T, Lil Uzi Vert, and Pop Smoke.
Nigo as an Art Collector
Nigo met the artist Kaws in 1996. He was one of the first people to support Kaws's artwork. In 2005, Nigo asked Kaws to paint something for him. Kaws created a painting called "Kaws Album."
In 2019, this painting was sold for a huge amount of money, $14.8 million. It was part of an auction of Nigo's art collection in Hong Kong. The total sales from his art collection reached $28 million.
Nigo has also worked with other famous artists. These include Futura, Stash, Hajime Sorayama, and André Saraiva.
Fun Facts About Nigo
- Nigo often uses a translator when he does interviews because he speaks little English.
- Nigo made a small appearance in a short film by Takashi Murakami. The film was called Akihabara Majokko Princess. It was shown at an art exhibition in London.
Awards and Recognition
- 2005 Style Award, MTV Asia Awards
- 2020 Fashion Designer of the Year Award, GQ Japan Men of the Year 2020
See also
In Spanish: Nigo para niños
- Star Trak Entertainment
- N*E*R*D
