The first major NIGO retrospective outside Japan is now open at the Design Museum. Running until 4 October 2026, the exhibition traces 30 years of work from the A Bathing Ape founder and current KENZO Artistic Director. Over 700 objects, a life-size glass tea house, and a recreation of his teenage bedroom. Tickets from £15.
Key Details
| Info | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates | 1 May – 4 October 2026 |
| Venue | Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High Street, London W8 6AG |
| Hours | Mon-Thu 10:00-17:00, Fri-Sun 10:00-18:00 |
| Tickets | Adult from £15.29, Child from £7.65, Student/Concession from £11.47 |
| Booking | designmuseum.org |
Museum closures: The whole museum will be closed on 2, 3, 4 and 18 September 2026.
What to Expect
This is the first-ever museum retrospective of NIGO (Tomoaki Nagao) outside Japan. The exhibition charts his journey from the backstreets of Harajuku, Tokyo, to the forefront of global luxury fashion.
Over 700 objects are on display, including:
- Rare early A Bathing Ape designs
- The iconic BAPE Shark hoodie
- BAPE STA trainers
- Louis Vuitton and Nike collaborations
- Vintage Americana from his personal collection (over 10,000 pieces)
- Ceramics hand-thrown by NIGO himself
Two installations created specially for this exhibition:
- A life-size glass tea house displaying 25 ceramic bowls made by NIGO
- A full recreation of his teenage bedroom from the 1980s
The exhibition is organised into four sections: The Future is in the Past, Evolution, The NIGO Effect, and New Traditions.
Who Is NIGO?
NIGO (born Tomoaki Nagao, 1970) is one of the most influential figures in contemporary fashion and design. His career spans streetwear, luxury fashion, music, architecture, and interior design.
Key achievements:
- 1993: Founded A Bathing Ape (BAPE) in Harajuku, Tokyo
- 2003-2013: DJ and music producer, collaborated with Pharrell Williams on Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream
- 2010: Founded Human Made
- 2021: Appointed Artistic Director of KENZO
NIGO helped invent modern streetwear. A Bathing Ape’s limited releases, distinctive camo patterns, and celebrity endorsements created the template that brands like Supreme would later follow. His ability to bridge Japanese craft traditions with American pop culture made him a pioneer of the “hype” economy.
His first collectible was a 1950s Levi’s Type II jacket, bought in a Tokyo vintage shop in 1986 when he was a teenager. That jacket became the seed of a world-class Americana archive.
Collaborations
NIGO’s network of collaborators reads like a who’s who of contemporary culture:
- Pharrell Williams — Billionaire Boys Club, Ice Cream
- Kanye West — Early BAPE appearances helped define 2000s hip-hop style
- Louis Vuitton — LV² collection with Virgil Abloh
- Nike — Multiple collaborations
- adidas — Human Made partnership
- Levi’s — Vintage-inspired collections
The exhibition showcases pieces from many of these collaborations.
Tickets
Where to buy:
- Design Museum website — official, recommended
Prices:
- Adult: from £15.29
- Child: from £7.65
- Student/Concession: from £11.47
ICOM cardholders: Contact [email protected] for booking information.
Accessibility:
- Large Text Guide available
- Gallery Sensory Map available
- Relaxed Opening sessions for visitors who may find standard visits overwhelming
KENZO Limited Edition
Exclusively from 30 April 2026 at the KENZO London Bruton store, a limited-edition souvenir jacket and embroidered jumper are available as exhibition collectibles.
Getting There
Design Museum 224-238 Kensington High Street London W8 6AG
Transport:
- Tube: High Street Kensington (District, Circle lines) — 2 minute walk
- Bus: 9, 10, 27, 28, 49, C1
The museum is in Kensington, next to Holland Park.
Exhibition Book
The accompanying exhibition book is available via the Design Museum Shop for home delivery, or add it to your ticket purchase to collect on the day of your visit.
Why Go?
This is streetwear history made tangible. NIGO didn’t just design clothes — he created a cultural blueprint that shaped how the world thinks about fashion, collecting, and hype.
Seeing the actual BAPE pieces up close, with the stitching, print quirks, and wear marks intact, hits differently than Instagram archives. The Shark hoodie, the BAPE STA trainers, the camo — these are objects that changed what millions of people want to wear.
The glass tea house and handmade ceramics reveal another side: NIGO as a craftsman, not just a brand builder. His obsessive attention to detail connects traditional Japanese making with contemporary design.
For anyone interested in streetwear, Japanese design, or how culture gets made, this is essential viewing. The exhibition closes 4 October 2026.
More Japanese culture in London: Animate is open at Waterloo Station, and My Neighbour Totoro runs at Gillian Lynne Theatre until January 2027.