chunky sneaker with a unique sole design, featuring a mix of materials and textures, including suede, mesh, and rubber.
Axel Arigato and Alvin Armstrong: A Fusion of Fashion and Art
Scandinavian fashion brand Axel Arigato and Brooklyn-based artist Alvin Armstrong have joined forces to create a capsule collection that is bursting with energy and warmth. The collaboration features a range of apparel, accessories, and a new sneaker, aptly named The Squish, all inspired by Armstrong’s 2023 painting, The Listening Skies.
The Color Palette: A Standout Feature
The collection’s color palette is a standout feature, capturing warm tones of “Ochre,” “Yellow,” “Black,” and “Blueserve.” These colors not only reflect the vibrancy of jazz music, but also the intensity of passion, belief, and spirituality associated with church music, as depicted in Armstrong’s painting.
A Fusion of Fashion and Art
Armstrong, known for his traditional painting style, brings his bold and colorful aesthetic to the collection, with a focus on celebrating Black subjects in motion. The capsule’s starting point was Armstrong’s archive painting, The Listening Skies, which depicts three figures singing with their mouths open. This piece served as the foundation for the collection, but the collaboration quickly evolved into something much deeper.
Jens Werner, Creative Director of Axel Arigato, shared, “It was an open exchange that pushed both of us outside our usual ways of creating. Alvin approached every stage with real curiosity, embracing the process of learning about garment-making and design. That shared sense of exploration and honesty is what gives this collection its energy.”
Through this collaboration, fashion and art truly fuse together, with the power of music at its core. Armstrong created 100 individual hand-drawn paintings of jazz musicians mid-performance, which were then hand-stitched onto white canvas T-shirts, creating unique wearable art pieces.
Standout Pieces
Aside from the one-of-a-kind T-shirts, the collection also features other standout pieces, such as an oversized brushback inside-out fleece sweater with vibrant yellow stripes and frayed sleeves, a reversible chocolate brown fleece with a signature logo lock-up zipper, and a 100% silk dress shirt featuring a custom reprographic of The Listening Skies.
Other notable pieces include a white denim workwear co-ord with color-pop button details and a knitted balaclava. Each piece in the collection exudes the same energy and vibrancy as The Listening Skies painting, thanks to the warm color palette.
The Squish: A Playful and Unique Sneaker
In addition to apparel and accessories, Axel Arigato also introduces a new sneaker, The Squish. This playful and chunky silhouette features a unique sole design, incorporating a mix of materials and textures, such as suede, mesh, and rubber.
Armstrong sums up the collaboration perfectly, stating, “To me, this is really about the color story of the collaboration. That should be our main thread – bold, simple color blocking that enhances the whole experience.” With this collection, Axel Arigato and Alvin Armstrong have successfully fused fashion and art, creating a vibrant and energetic capsule that celebrates the power of music.
