In what might be the most fashionable thing to happen to a convenience store since those ubiquitous rice ball packaging triangles, Japanese retail giant FamilyMart has just appointed streetwear legend Tomoaki Nagao, known to the world as NIGO, as its creative director. The announcement, which dropped on February 5, 2025, promises to give your late-night snack runs a serious style upgrade.
The Creative Mind Behind Bape Now at FamilyMart
The mastermind behind the Bape hoodies will now turn his creative eye to the beloved konbini chain, which boasts over 16,000 stores in Japan, plus another 8,000 sprinkled across Asia. NIGO, an acronym for “Not in Good Order,” will collaborate with FamilyMart across multiple domains, including strategic product development, marketing campaigns and even utilizing FamilyMartVision, the chain’s next-generation in-store digital signage media. His first collaborative projects are set to roll out in spring 2026, giving us plenty of time to imagine what a fashion-forward FamilyMart might look like.
“As Japan continues to garner global attention, convenience stores best embody Japan’s unique lifestyle and culture. FamilyMart respects creativity and continuously challenges itself to pursue innovation,” NIGO shared in the announcement. “Together, I hope to bring joy to the daily lives of people in Japan and across the globe.”
His vision for FamilyMart emphasizes the chain’s commitment to innovation while preserving the essential elements that make Japanese convenience stores a cultural touchstone: quality, reliability and cleanliness.
FamilyMart’s President Kensuke Hosomi expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, highlighting the alignment between NIGO’s global creative influence and the company’s philosophy of being “a convenience store that takes on challenges.”
About NIGO
NIGO is practically Japanese fashion royalty. He founded A Bathing Ape (also known as Bape) in the 1990s, turning streetwear into a global cultural phenomenon that had everyone clamoring for those iconic “Cloud Camo” prints. His more recent venture, Human Made, launched in 2010, continues to push creative boundaries in contemporary fashion.
In 2021, NIGO was appointed as Artistic Director of Kenzo, the LVMH-owned luxury house. His creative journey reached another milestone in January 2025 with a celebrated collaborative collection with long-time friend Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton, underscoring his ability to navigate between streetwear, luxury fashion and popular culture.
Now, as he steps into the world of convenience store culture, NIGO brings with him a unique vision that could transform your everyday FamilyMart run into something extraordinary. Will we see designer sandwich wrappers? Limited-edition Human Made Famichiki? Only time will tell.
NIGO, though, might just be the perfect person to elevate the humble konbini experience while keeping its soul intact. After all, if anyone can make grabbing a tamago sando feel like a fashion statement, it’s him.
