Companies

Axel Arigato appoints new creative director

Jun 19, 2024 Sweden

The Swedish footwear and fashion brand Axel Arigato has appointed Jens Werner as creative director. He succeeds Max Svärdh, who cofounded the label with Albin Johansson in 2014

Jens Werner, who joined Axel Arigato in 2021 as head of ready-to-year, will now oversee the design of both the footwear and ready-to-wear collections, as well as the brand’s creative output. He succeeds Max Svärdh, who co-founded the brand with Albin Johansson in 2014. Svärdh will remain a board member and co-owner of the label.

“Across the last three years, Jens has been a pivotal force in shaping Axel Arigato; His appointment to creative director comes at a time of radical growth and transformation for the brand. We’re excited to see his new creative vision come to life and to start this next step of the journey together”, stated Axel Arigato CEO Albin Johansson.

A “self-taught designer”, Wener was previously creative director at J.Lindeberg. He has also worked for Y-3, the fashion-focused line designed by adidas and Yohji Yamamoto and served as design director at Tory Burch’s performance activewear line Tory Sport.

“When I joined, the brand had been a sneaker label for seven years — so to be able to be a part of defining the ready-to-wear category was really special. In this next chapter, I look forward to harmonizing footwear, ready-to-wear, accessories, spatial design, and all creative outputs to ensure everything exists within a cohesive universe”, commented the newly appointed creative director.

The brand’s autumn 2024 campaign, which will be unveiled in a few weeks, is expected to offer a glimpse of the brand’s new creative vision. But in the meantime, Werner has already said that the brand will launch three collaborations and a limited-edition capsule collection this year, reflecting his first steps into footwear design (wwd.com).

Image Credits: uk.fashionnetwork.com

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