This cool sneaker brand, Axel Arigato, born in 2014, is growing rapidly in Europe. The Stockholm-based brand had enough traction to receive a 56MM-euro investment from @Eurazeo in 2020. So how does a brand get so much traction in a sneaker market saturated with big players? Some thoughts about the boxes they check:
✔️ Exceptional STYLE - this brand has it in spades - just the right mix of minimalism, pops of color, and desirable stack heights in the sneakers. Consistent with their aesthetic, the beautiful stores look like art galleries.
✔️Magic PRICE POINTS. Focused on an average retail of $250, and mostly made in Portugal, they are an affordable luxury.
✔️They cultivate COMMUNITY in social and IRL with regular experiences — DJs nights after hours, album signing, monthly free sneaker cleaning — in their now 5 physical stores — London, Paris, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Gothenburg.
✔️They use SUSTAINABLE materials with "leather sourced from tanneries with environmentally good practices, certified by the Leather Working Group”, and are striving for sustainability in every aspect of the brand (axelarigato.com).
They are becoming a lifestyle brand. They’ve successfully tested some apparel, and WWD recently reported that they are focusing growth in the category (https://lnkd.in/g_YA_qtn).
As a brand, Axel Arigato, is a great case study in how to build and grow a successful brand — having a clear vision, consistent aesthetic, and simple strategy are key factors.
As for the U.S., they've recently had pop-up shops at Neiman Marcus, and are available at various online retailers. More to come I'm sure!