Fashion People Pop Culture Did Not Die in 2009
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Nov 14, 2025 W. David Marx, an esteemed author and fashion observer based in Japan, dives into the evolution of fashion and pop culture over the last 25 years. He discusses the rise of A Bathing Ape and the significance of streetwear like Supreme, linking these trends to adaptative consumer behavior in Japan. Marx explores how selling out has shifted from taboo to ambition, and predicts a future where fashion remains vibrant amidst digital noise. He emphasizes fashion's growing cultural importance over music, as new, high-quality indie brands emerge on global stages.
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How Bathing Ape Sparked A Career
- W. David Marx discovered A Bathing Ape in Tokyo in 1998 and wrote his senior thesis on its scarcity-driven marketing.
- That early streetwear obsession launched his career studying how pop culture and consumer behavior interlink.
Culture Became Commerce-First
- Blank Space argues the 21st century made culture more profitable and political but less generative for creative invention.
- Marx frames the period as a shift from anti-commerce nineties values to commerce-driven cultural success.
Early Webpage Led To NYT Interview
- Marx and a friend created the first unofficial A Bathing Ape webpage and were interviewed by The New York Times in 1999.
- That moment tied him publicly to the brand and fueled his subsequent research and writing.
