![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Marshawn.Bape_.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe clothing brand\u2018s opening celebration with P-Lo, Karri and others comes amid a rebranding of the area.<\/p>\n
Aug 21, 2026<\/p>\n
Updated 10:01 am PT<\/p>\n
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Marshawn Lynch, pictured in a promotional photo for BAPE\u2019s new San Francisco store. \u2018The Bay got a way with pulling things in,\u2019 says the NFL star. \u00a0(BAPE)<\/p>\n
At the turn of the millennium, BAPE had the hip-hop world in a veritable headlock. Now, Japanese streetwear brand has a San Francisco storefront<\/a>. Their Union Square location soft-launched over the summer, and this Saturday, Aug. 22, its celebrates its official grand opening with a block party.<\/p>\n The brick-and-mortar shop will open at 10 a.m. \u2013 earlier than usual \u2013 while the block party, just around the corner, will run from 1 p.m.\u20135 p.m. The free, all-ages event features live performances from Oakland R&B singer Karri<\/a> and Pinole rapper-producer P-Lo<\/a>, as well as DJ sets from Lil CC<\/a>, Shabazz<\/a> and DJ D Sharp<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll also be restocking all of our sold-out SF BAPE merch,\u201d adds the store\u2019s assistant manager, Ant Bankx<\/a>, referring to the special San Francisco-branded apparel that flew off shelves as soon as the store opened. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a line every day, out the store,\u201d Bankx attests. \u201cEven for BAPE, that\u2019s not normal.\u201d<\/p>\n The company, founded in 1993 by fashion designer Nigo<\/a>, has long been a standard of urban wear. By opening a store in Union Square, Bankx says, San Francisco\u2019s fashion scene is getting the recognition it deserves.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve always been here,\u201d says Bankx, \u201cand we\u2019ve always had a voice.\u201d<\/p>\n Raised in Richmond, Bankx has styled some of the Bay\u2019s top entertainers, including Rexx Life Raj and Ovrkast. Co-producer of the Cafe Gumbo<\/a> streetwear pop-up series, Bankx has also worked with local and nationally recognized brands and retailers, including Oaklandish<\/a>, STASHED SF<\/a> and the high-end consignment shop ReLove<\/a>.<\/p>\n Steeped in Bay Area culture and the world of fashion, Bankx knows all about what\u2019s impeding the region from being credited as a hub for stylish apparel and fly garments.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople want fashion to look like how fashion looks everywhere,\u201d he says \u2014\u00a0but the Bay Area has always developed a style of its own. \u201cIt\u2019s not on anyone else\u2019s terms. We\u2019re not imitating New York or Los Angeles, we\u2019re out here doing our own thing. Setting our own vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n Along with the notion that people aren\u2019t getting fits off in the Bay, there\u2019s also a reputation that Union Square is trying to shed.<\/p>\n The 2024 attempted robbery and shooting of 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall<\/a> in the area, plus a series of smash-and-grab robberies<\/a> at luxury retail stores in 2021, plagued the \u201cbrand\u201d of Union Square. While reports of these incidents were accurate, Bankx says the tone online quickly became sensationalized. \u201cEverybody focuses on the negative,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Last year, San Francisco reported<\/a> a 40% drop in crime in the area. That came on the heels of a $267 million dollar<\/a> California Highway Patrol program announced in 2023, which aimed to crack down on robberies at shopping areas across the state. And in 2025, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie implemented a SFPD Hospitality Task Force<\/a>, created specifically to \u201cimprove public safety, boost tourism and drive economic recovery in key commercial area(s),\u201d including Union Square.<\/p>\n Much like the rest of downtown San Francisco, Union Square is in a state of transition. Since 2020, more than 15 stores<\/a>, ranging from DSW (Designer Shoe Warehouse) to Saks Fifth Avenue, have left the area. At one point, even Macy\u2019s threatened to vacate its flagship store on the square. This year\u2019s closure of San Francisco\u2019s largest mall<\/a>, three blocks away, didn\u2019t help.<\/p>\n But in the wake of the mass exodus, new stores have appeared, including Pop Mart<\/a>, Moscot<\/a>, Zara<\/a> and a Nintendo<\/a> store.<\/p>\n \u201cSan Francisco is making a conscious effort to put these things here,\u201d says Bankx, describing it as not just post-pandemic rebuilding, but building better. \u201cAnd I think BAPE was one of those early pieces to fall into place.\u201d<\/p>\n With a SUPREME store just minutes away, Bankx sees \u201csynergy within the culture.\u201d Other major brands like Kith<\/a> also have plans to open stores downtown. With the influx, San Francisco itself is rebranding. The question is: Will it have a lasting impact or will it fold during the next economic downturn?<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t really know if it\u2019s going to work until you see,\u201d says Bankx.<\/p>\n Given the lines out of the BAPE store and the demand for regionally specific merch \u2014 and what\u2019s sure to be a large crowd at Saturday\u2019s event \u2014 there\u2019s clearly a healthy market for fashion in Frisco.<\/p>\n The BAPE in the Bay<\/a> block party takes place on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 1\u20135 p.m. at Union Square Plaza (216 Stockton St., San Francisco). Check here for more information.<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/DSC01315.jpg\")
Designer Ant Bankx says San Francisco fashion is thriving, but too often overlooked.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1787333318_652_GettyImages-2258368806.jpg\")
Union Square in downtown San Francisco, pictured on January 22, 2026. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-2252688144.jpg\")
Shoppers wait in the rain outside of the Pop Mart store in San Francisco\u2019s Union Square on Dec. 23, 2025. <\/p>\n