Axel Arigato and Alvin Armstrong present a limited edition collection

Creative collaborations at the intersection of art and fashion champion the creativity at the heart of both fields, something vividly brought to life in a new partnership between Swedish footwear and accessories label Axel Arigato and Brooklyn-based artist Alvin Armstrong.

The partnership is an interesting one, with the gloriously bold colours of Armstrong’s figurative style proving a vibrant foil for Axel Arigato’s clean minimalism. In Armstrong’s work, texture and colour are key in imbuing his subjects with a fluidity and power. When taken off the canvas and translated to a limited-edition capsule collection of sneakers, accessories and ready-to-wear, the work itself becomes a living entity.

For Armstrong, it marks the first time he has undertaken a collaboration of this kind, presenting a new host of challenges he was keen to embrace. ‘I wanted to explore how my creative process in the studio could translate to apparel, and I approached each piece with the same kind of examination and iteration process that I use to figure out a painting’s composition,’ he says. ‘How do I want things to feel, and what material helps me achieve that? What colours make sense for each garment, and how do the tones of each piece fit back into the capsule’s overall colour story? Which shapes and lengths make sense to me, and how do things feel when draped on the body? I wanted the pieces to be a bit unexpected, for each piece in the capsule to complement one another, and I feel like we achieved that.’

Armstrong took the fiery colour of his 2023 painting, The Listening Skies, as a starting-off point, interweaving its distinct colour palette throughout the collection as a way of creating a uniform identity for the series. ‘My childhood memories that inspired the painting also played a role,’ Armstrong adds. ‘My dad’s side of the family is from Crenshaw, L.A., and was part of the Black gospel church—sharp in faith and fashion, always dressed to the nines in bold colour. I wanted the capsule to reflect that energy while exploring texture, shape, and how the pieces drape on the body.’

As well as ready-to-wear, the partnership also ushers in the new Squish sneaker, encompassing the sculptural lines and deep curves which run throughout Armstrong’s work. ‘I’ve always been interested in making work beyond the canvas, and I love fashion,’ he says. ‘Creating a capsule collection like this makes my work more accessible to folks who might not be able to afford a painting. It’s especially incredible to see The Listening Skies brought to life in this way – through the campaign and in this collection. Giving my ideas and creativity a platform to play, expand, and learn in new ways has been an experience I’ve deeply enjoyed. I’m grateful to Jens and Axel Arigato for the opportunity and for trusting me at every stage.’