Japanese streetwear label AAPE BY A BATHING APE® is entering the Indian market with its first standalone store at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, opening this festive season. The launch is the brand’s India debut, and it plans to expand to other major Indian cities over the next three years.
The store will stock AAPE’s Fall/Winter 2026 collection of men’s and women’s apparel and accessories. The range includes graphic T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, shirts, jackets, bottoms, shorts, caps and bags, all featuring the brand’s signature Moon Face and graphic-led visual language.
To mark the opening, AAPE will release a special-edition New Delhi T-shirt in an exclusive camouflage design. It was created specifically for the India launch and will be available in limited quantities.
The brand noted that Delhi was chosen as the first market because of its vibrant retail environment and strong connection to youth culture.
Sharing its vision for the Indian market, AAPE BY A BATHING APE® stated, “India represents an exciting opportunity for AAPE, with a young, globally connected audience and a fashion landscape that continues to evolve. Our first store at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj gives us an opportunity to introduce AAPE’s distinctive world of streetwear directly to Indian consumers through our collections, graphics and the culture that shapes the brand. As we begin our India journey, we look forward to building a strong connection with a new generation of AAPE consumers and establishing the foundation for our presence across the country.”
AAPE launched in 2012 as a young collection within the A BATHING APE® universe and has grown into a fashion brand shaped by music, sport and popular culture. Its circular Moon Face logo, camouflage, bold graphics and the AAPER family of characters are defining elements of its collections and stores.
The brand is already present in Japan, mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Its stores span Asia, North America and the Middle East, including Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, New York and Los Angeles. It also has a presence in Seoul, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
AAPE has collaborated with Coca-Cola, Tommy Jeans and Audi. For Fall/Winter 2026, it partnered with Alpha Industries to reimagine the MA-1 flight jacket, and K-pop group LNGSHOT fronted the season’s campaign.
The India launch is in partnership with Unit Nine Private Limited, an Indian fashion retail company focused on the long-term development of international brands in India. As AAPE’s retail partner, Unit Nine will lead local retail operations, marketing and customer experience, starting with Delhi.
