design, fashion, lifestyle & culture

SHOWstudio x C.E: Interview with Designer Sk8thing

Tokyo-born Bape lead designer and C.E owner Sk8thing has served the brand since the very beginning while maintaining an incredibly private existence. He’s also remained incredibly busy, designing for BAPE, Pharrell’s Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream lines, Neighborhood, W-Taps, undercover, Bounty Hunter, and T-19. With his mysterious public persona and innate understanding of exclusivity, the Japanese designer seldom gives interviews and often appears with his face masked. ‘I thought it was more interesting to remain disguised,’ he explained to Lou Stoppard, noting the influence of the Phantom of the Opera in his use of secrecy and mystery. Topics of conversation ranged from building cult brands to the London riots of 2011 and the pros and cons of cultural consumption in the post-internet era.