14/11/2025
Scandinavian fashion brand and Brooklyn-based artist have collaborated on a capsule collection that is full of energy and warmth.
Armstrong is a traditional painter in the sense that he typically creates using paint and canvas. A consistent theme in his work centers around celebrating Black subjects in motion. Fittingly, his paintings are bold and colorful, with a clear narrative achieved through a simple but strong focal form.
The standout piece within the capsule is a 100% silk dress shirt that features an expressive reprographic of Armstrong’s painting - The Listening Skies - a 2023 work depicting three figures with their mouths open singing. The painting is said to capture the intensity of passion, belief, and spirituality associated with church music.
In close collaboration with Axel Arigato’s London design team, the pair also created a range of other pieces that place the power of music at the center. For instance, Armstrong created 100 individual expressive hand-drawn paintings capturing jazz musicians mid-performance. These works were each hand-stitched onto white canvas T-shirts, creating literal one-of-a-kind wearable art pieces.
Additionally, the warm palette of “Ochre,” “Yellow,
“Black,” and “Blueserve” was essential to capture the vibrancy of jazz music in the apparel pieces. “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,”
Armstrong explains.
In addition to the apparel and accessories, Axel Arigato also presents a new sneaker dubbed The Squish. The silhouette appears as a playful, warped version of Axel Arigato’s familiar footwear codes, featuring curved lines and a ‘squished’ gum sole. Finished in either “Black Suede / Gum” or “Blue Suede / Gum,” it rounds off the expressive collection perfectly.
The Axel Arigato x Alvin Armstrong collection is out now.
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