Axel Arigato names Werner its new creative director

Axel Arigato has named a new Creative Director with the Swedish footwear and fashion brand appointing Jens Werner to the post. 

In his new role, Werner will oversee both the footwear and ready-to-wear collections, plus the wider creative output from the label.

It’s not his first stint at the company having previously been its Head of Ready-to-Wear between 2021 and 2023 where he worked worked closely with his predecessor Max Svärdh, who co- founded the brand in 2014. 

And Werner will still be able to draw on Svärdh’s insights as he remains a board member and co-owner and “will continue to support the brand from this position”.

The company said that Werner is a self-taught designer, “whose background in skate and love of minimal design will inform part of his new creative vision for Axel Arigato”.

As well as time spent at the company, his resumé includes positions at Adidas, where he worked on the Y-3 line alongside fashion collaborations. His work with the Japanese Yohji Yamamoto team is said to have “honed his skills in reduction, silhouette play and attention to every detail”.

Post-Adidas, Werner was the Design Director of Tory Sport, part of the Tory Burch collection in NYC. And before this previous tenure at Axel Arigato, he was Creative Director at another Swedish brand, J.Lindeberg. 

Axel Arigato CEO Albin Johansson said: “Across the last three years, Jens has been a pivotal force in shaping [the label]. 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.”

That radical growth has seen the label adding to its directly-operated store count (it currently has nine locations in five countries along with over 250 wholesale partners and retail concessions).

Most recently it opened in London’s Covent Garden. And as a further sign of the importance of the UK market to the brand, last year it launched a Mulberry collab. Meanwhile last weekend it had a special celebration of its Clean 90 sneaker at two stores, one of them being the London location and the other in Stockholm. The celebration comprised a complete store takeover for the product.