The veste requin, better known outside France as the Bape shark hoodie, has become one of the most photographed pieces in modern streetwear. From backstage at concerts to candid street-style shots, this zip-up jacket with its wide-open shark mouth hood keeps resurfacing in celebrity wardrobes decade after decade. This article looks at which stars have actually worn it, why it caught on in music and entertainment circles, and what that says about the piece’s staying power.

A Jacket Born From Hip-Hop Culture

The veste requin didn’t become famous through fashion editorials first; it was hip-hop that pushed it into the spotlight. Since its 2004 debut, BAPE’s camo has been worn by leading names in music including Drake, Rihanna, Pusha T, Lil Uzi Vert, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, and Future. That early adoption by artists gave the shark hoodie a credibility no advertising campaign could manufacture, and it’s part of why the piece still feels culturally relevant today.

The Pioneers Who Started It All

Long before the shark hoodie became a TikTok talking point, a handful of early-2000s stars made it a signature look. Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Kid Cudi all wore Bape in the early 2000s, helping bring it from Japan to global fame. These artists weren’t paid spokespeople; they simply wore what they liked, and their influence turned a niche Tokyo label into something teenagers across the world were saving up for.

Pharrell Williams and the Bape Connection

Pharrell Williams deserves special mention, since his relationship with Bape runs deeper than most. He’s been closely tied to the brand for years, frequently spotted in pieces ranging from a simple bape tee shirt to full shark hoodie fits. His influence helped bridge streetwear and mainstream celebrity culture at a time when few artists were willing to wear anything that loud. That early endorsement gave the label serious credibility in both music and fashion circles.

Hip-Hop’s Ongoing Love Affair With the Shark Hoodie

The shark hoodie’s popularity didn’t fade after its debut decade. The Spring ’17 version was worn by both A$AP Rocky and Chris Brown, proving the design still resonated with a newer generation of artists more than a decade after its release. This kind of repeated adoption, across different eras of hip-hop, is rare for any single garment and speaks to how well the design has aged compared to other 2000s streetwear trends.

Why Musicians Gravitate Toward It

Musicians tend to favor pieces that photograph well on stage and in music videos, and the veste requin fits that requirement perfectly. Its bold graphic reads clearly even from a distance, unlike subtler logo pieces that get lost under stage lighting. Combined with matching pieces like a hoodie bape or a pull baby milo, artists can build a full look that feels cohesive without appearing overly styled, which matters a lot for performers who want to look authentic rather than staged.

Beyond Hip-Hop: Wider Celebrity Reach

While rap culture gets most of the credit, the appeal has spread well beyond music. Names associated with the wider Bape camo aesthetic include G-Dragon, Taeyang, Wiz Khalifa, and Soulja Boy, showing the brand’s reach across K-pop and broader entertainment circles too. This crossover appeal is part of why the shark hoodie keeps circulating in new markets rather than fading as a strictly American hip-hop reference point.

The Red Carpet and Street Style Crossover

Streetwear pieces rarely make it to red carpets, but the veste requin is an exception in more casual entertainment settings, premieres, award show after-parties, and press events where celebrities dress down slightly. The Bape shark design has been spotted on the backs of A-list celebrities on Hollywood red carpets as well as in music videos, which shows the piece has crossed from purely underground streetwear into a recognized part of celebrity off-duty style.

Why It Works So Well on Camera

Part of the reason celebrities keep reaching for this jacket comes down to how photogenic it is. The exaggerated shark mouth hood and bold camo create instantly recognizable silhouettes in paparazzi shots and social media posts alike. It’s the kind of piece that generates conversation simply by appearing in a photo, which explains why so many artists have worn it during high-visibility moments rather than saving it for low-key outings.

The Ripple Effect on Fans

Every time a well-known artist steps out in a veste requin, resale prices and search interest tend to spike shortly after. This ripple effect has repeated itself across multiple eras of the jacket’s history, from its early 2000s debut through its more recent leather and anniversary editions. Fans don’t just want to copy an outfit; they want a tangible connection to the culture that made the piece iconic in the first place, and that desire keeps demand consistently high.

What This Means for Shoppers Today

If you’re considering the piece yourself, it’s worth knowing you’re buying into a genuine cultural lineage rather than a passing trend. Pair it the way many of these artists have, over a plain bape tee shirt or layered with a hoodie bape underneath for cooler weather. The celebrity connection isn’t just marketing history; it reflects real, repeated choices by artists across two decades, which is a stronger endorsement than most brands can claim.

Final Thoughts

The list of celebrities connected to the veste requin spans multiple genres, generations, and countries, from Pharrell Williams and Kanye West in the early 2000s to Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, and G-Dragon more recently. That consistency across eras is rare in streetwear, where trends usually fade within a few years. Whether you’re drawn to the piece for its design or its cultural history, it’s clear the hype around this jacket has real staying power behind it.