London's Design Museum to Host a NIGO Retrospective in 2026

Tomoaki Nagao—best known to the world as NIGO–has accomplished quite a bit over the last 30 years. His influence spans music, fashion, design, and culture-at-large. Collaborative projects with Pharrell Williams, Adidas Originals, and others have helped make him a household name outside of Japan. Recent work with Louis Vuitton, KENZO, and Nike have further cemented his importance decades after he popped up on the scene with A BATHING APE®.

From May 1-Oct. 4, 2026, London's Design Museum will host NIGO: From Japan with Love, charting the 54-year-old's illustrious career. As the first museum retrospective and exhibition outside of Japan to embark on the task, the effort is ambitious, but ready to highlight an influential creative force from the last 30 years.

It's uncertain exactly what will be showcased in NIGO. The Design Museum's curation team, however, has a lot to pull from given the length and depth of the Japanese icon's professional work. He was at the helm of BAPE® for at least 15 years and currently operates Human Made. His work with the Three Stripes encompasses more than a dozen footwear styles while the NIGO x Nike partnership has amassed a handful of drops over the last year.

This is without getting into his work outside of the realm of sportswear, which includes jewelry, music production, restaurant direction, and hotel design.

In 2022, NIGO showcased his vintage clothing collection at his alma mater, Bunka Fashion College, in an exhibit titled The Future Is in the Past. The Design Museum's NIGO retrospective is also expected to include rare items from the personal collection of "The General."

NIGO: From Japan with Love arrives in London on Friday, May 1, 2026. Ticket information and schedules are expected to be made public near the exhibition's opening day. While you wait, you can shop NIGO on StockX right now.

In other news, the world of Nike Basketball continues to expand.