Where Streetwear and Tech Cross Paths: ASUS Vivobook X BAPE®

Jul 20, 2023

If you’re into streetwear, you would recognize the signature A BATHING APE® (a.k.a. BAPE®) ABC Camo design anywhere.

BAPE® is a brand with origins in Ura Harajuku, Tokyo. Turning heads since 1993, it's a go-to for many hip-hop celebrities and streetwear design enthusiasts alike. BAPE® has created a series of iconic motifs, original patterns, and characters such as the APE HEAD, BAPE® CAMO, BABY MILO®, and more.

The brand has a rich portfolio of collab products, delivering a wide range of urban-dweller essentials, including clothing, accessories, and even tech gadgets. But have you ever seen a BAPE® laptop?

Read on to learn more about the one-of-a-kind laptop design collaboration that resulted in the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED BAPE® limited edition.

ASUS Vivobook is all about that urban lifestyle. It’s a laptop that makes a statement about a user’s creativity, individuality, and potentiality. The spirit of ASUS Vivobook naturally aligns with A BATHING APE® aesthetic , with standout design and unwavering authenticity. Its styling and design lines make a perfect canvas for the streetwear laptop.

In early 2023, ASUS released a street fashion-inspired ASUS Vivobook S 14 & 15 OLED. This laptop perfectly blends into the styles and attitudes of urban explorers and global metropolitan youth. It’s as much of a bold fashion statement as it is a great productivity tool.

By joining forces with A BATHING APE®, ASUS aimed to create something truly unique. The result? A collab laptop that is the embodiment of streetwear spirit, pushing the boundaries of design.

And this year, as BAPE celebrates its 30th anniversary, this limited edition release is even more special.

This co-branded laptop comes in two bundle versions, filled with surprises. You can choose between a green camo bundle, with a black laptop and green camo accessories, or a blue camo bundle, with a silver laptop and blue camo extras.

The ASUS Vivobook X BAPE® collab laptop carries a very strong BAPE® identity, visible at first glance.

Along with the uniquely adorned lid (explained in detail below), there are playful, unique additions blended into the classic camouflage pattern. The BABY MILO® FRIENDS characters add a delightful twist to the design. The ASUS Vivobook name is also nicely blended into the camo pattern, making for a unique, one-of-a-kind design that you won’t find anywhere but on this laptop.

To deliver a streetwear-enthusiast-delight, we’ve spent a lot of time fine-tuning the unique design. The result is a laptop with tons of meticulous details that create a one-of-a-kind feel. Let’s dig in!

Photo-Light-Etched Linear Camo Lid

Such an unprecedented collab required an unprecedented design. As the biggest and most visible surface of the laptop, the lid is where ASUS designers focused first. We experimented with a wide variety of designs and manufacturing techniques. In the end, we decided to use a rarely seen technique that we call photo-light-etching.

How does this work, you may ask? In short, light rays etch the laptop surface to create a detailed shiny-and-matte camo design. The technique is inspired by a computer chip production process called photolithography.

The result is a durable, shiny, intricate pattern on a matte surface. The camo design becomes visible under different angles. It has that unique urban feel to it. Thanks to the use of photo-light-etching technique as opposed to traditional print, the intricate pattern is here to stay — it will not come off with use.

We also added a reflective, mirror-like stainless steel nametag with the ASUS Vivobook and A BATHING APE® logotypes etched on the surface of the tag using a PVD process on the right side of the lid to complement the unique look. The thin tag blends smoothly with the lid surface for a better touch and feel.

Touchpad, Palm Rest, Base, and System

The ASUS Vivobook X BAPE® visual identity is present all around the laptop. We used various printing techniques to add interesting details on other surfaces, too.

For instance, the same camo pattern used on the lid is also found on the large touchpad. On the bottom-right corner of the palm rest area, a shiny BABY MILO® character is hiding behind the BAPE® head logo to further reinforce the collab identity. The same graphic is also printed on the bottom of the laptop for an all-around consistent look.

That same identity carries over to the software side of things. When you turn on the laptop, you will be welcomed with a custom boot-up animation with multiple ASUS Vivobook logos shaping up into a BAPE® head logo.

Finally, you have three interactive wallpapers to choose from, all featuring the unique Vivobook X BAPE® camo design as well. That includes an interactive wallpaper — you can interact with the BABY MILO FRIENDS®.

That’s not where the surprises end. The ASUS Vivobook X A BATHING APE® Collab comes as a rich bundle.

In the sustainably made box, you will find plenty of accessories with that strong BAPE® identity. First off, you’ll get a laptop bag adorned with the ASUS Vivobook X BAPE® camo graphic all over the outside, as well as a more subtle two-tone pattern inside, adorning its many pockets that help users organize their accessories conveniently. The bag opens at a 180-degree angle, making it very convenient to put the laptop in or take it out of the bag in any situation. It’s a really cool practical accessory that will perfectly complement a BAPE® outfit.

There are also two sets of stickers — one, you can use to decorate the laptop or any other surface, and the other set is made specifically to make keyboard customization fun and easy.

You will also find a special edition of the ASUS Marshmallow mouse covered in the familiar camo design, with a swappable shell to allow you to switch between the colorful and black looks. It also features a handy strap that makes carrying the mouse around easier.

Finally, you will also find a BABY MILO® figurine in the box. Holding an ASUS Vivobook laptop on its lap, BABY MILO® figurine makes for a super cool desk decoration. But if you wish, you can detach the laptop, and even move the BABY MILO® ‘s head. It’s an adorable must-have item for BAPE® and BABY MILO® fans.

The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED BAPE Edition is a fashion statement and a perfect way to complement your A BATHING APE® outfit. But it’s more than that.

It’s also a great Intel® Evo™ certified productivity tool. You can choose up to a 13th Gen Intel Core® i9-13900H processor for robust processing power that can handle any everyday task you throw at it and even photo editing, graphic design, and other forms of content creation or gaming.

It features a visually stunning 15.6-inch 2.8K 120 Hz OLED display with thin NanoEdge bezels. This screen is PANTONE® Validated for color accuracy, making for vivid, stunning imagery, just like the artist intended.

Other exceptional features include one-touch login, a 3DNR FHD webcam with a physical privacy shield, and fast (up to 1 TB) PCIe® 4.0 SSD storage.

You can order the limited-edition laptop now worldwide. So, what are you waiting for, check it out, and snatch one up before it’s too late!