Introducing Akaia: Reggieknow’s New Brand Emblem for Axel Arigato

 Since it was first embroidered onto a hoodie in 2017, the Bee-Bird has been the mascot for Swedish brand Axel Arigato, symbolizing its self-proclaimed spirit of independence and boundlessness. Now, almost a decade later, the brand emblem has been reimagined with the help of culture-defining creative Reggieknow.From his role in shaping the identity of Chicago’s influential hip-hop collective Dem Dare in the ‘90s to later collaborating with Virgil Abloh in Louis Vuitton SS21, Reggieknow’s impact has spanned multiple decades and practices. Known first for his hand-illustrated flyers and pioneering sense of style, his impact is still felt across music, fashion, and art today.”The rebelliousness of early skate culture and hip-hop is very parallel. It’s the edge of what’s next.” — ReggieknowIt’s difficult to imagine what these different realms of culture would look like without the instrumental contributions of early hip-hop and other city subcultures. Reggieknow’s role has been one of bringing the underground to the surface and closing the gap between mass recognition and IYKYK cool. It’s these qualities that compelled Axel Arigato creative director Jens Werner to Reggieknow in the first place.Werner knew he wanted to reimagine the bee-bird to “sharpen its edge.” “Reggieknow felt like the perfect collaborator for that, as I’d been a fan of his work for years,” he said. “We met at our NYC store opening, and we clicked immediately over the city’s culture and our shared skate backgrounds.”Reintroduced with sensibilities inspired by the artist’s subcultural roots, the emblem, named Akaia, isn’t subtle. Far from being flattened into a mere icon, the bee-bird is reimagined as a bold character who stands out with a colorful and human expression.In this conversation, Reggieknow takes Hypebeast to the start of his collaboration with Axel Arigato and gives insight into how his process is still informed by his culture-clashing roots.Where did the collaboration with Axel Arigato begin? This collaboration began in the space of like minds. My creative community may appear small, but it’s potent. You cross paths with those whom you’re supposed to cross paths with. The Creative Director, Jens of Axel Arigato, represents one of those cases. What Jens saw in my work was worth him sending me a DM on IG. We learned that, creatively, we look through a similar lens. We decided to meet up in  NYC to have a face-to-face conversation. We walked the NYC streets discussing early culture. We asked the question: what would us working on something together look like? Ha, our creative convo hasn’t stopped yet. What do you think makes a brand emblem successful or memorable?I think what makes a brand emblem successful is the story behind it. Can you share more on the core visual references for Akaia?The fusion of Akaia doesn’t stop at birds. The human side of Akaia is where it really gets interesting. Akaia is hatched from elements of