Since it was first embroidered onto a hoodie in 2017, the Bee-Bird has been the mascot for Swedish brand Axel Arigato, symbolizing its self-proclaimed spirit of independence and boundlessness. Now, almost a decade later, the brand emblem has been reimagined with the help of culture-defining creative Reggieknow.

From his role in shaping the identity of Chicago’s influential hip-hop collective Dem Dare in the ‘90s to later collaborating with Virgil Abloh in Louis Vuitton SS21, Reggieknow’s impact has spanned multiple decades and practices. Known first for his hand-illustrated flyers and pioneering sense of style, his impact is still felt across music, fashion, and art today.

“The rebelliousness of early skate culture and hip-hop is very parallel. It’s the edge of what’s next.” — Reggieknow

It’s difficult to imagine what these different realms of culture would look like without the instrumental contributions of early hip-hop and other city subcultures. Reggieknow’s role has been one of bringing the underground to the surface and closing the gap between mass recognition and IYKYK cool. It’s these qualities that compelled Axel Arigato creative director Jens Werner to Reggieknow in the first place.

Werner knew he wanted to reimagine the bee-bird to “sharpen its edge.” “Reggieknow felt like the perfect collaborator for that, as I’d been a fan of his work for years,” he said. “We met at our NYC store opening, and we clicked immediately over the city’s culture and our shared skate backgrounds.”

Reintroduced with sensibilities inspired by the artist’s subcultural roots, the emblem, named Akaia, isn’t subtle. Far from being flattened into a mere icon, the bee-bird is reimagined as a bold character who stands out with a colorful and human expression.

In this conversation, Reggieknow takes Hypebeast to the start of his collaboration with Axel Arigato and gives insight into how his process is still informed by his culture-clashing roots.

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Where did the collaboration with Axel Arigato begin? 
This collaboration began in the space of like minds. My creative community may appear small, but it’s potent. You cross paths with those whom you’re supposed to cross paths with. The Creative Director, Jens of Axel Arigato, represents one of those cases. What Jens saw in my work was worth him sending me a DM on IG. 

We learned that, creatively, we look through a similar lens. We decided to meet up in  NYC to have a face-to-face conversation. We walked the NYC streets discussing early culture. We asked the question: what would us working on something together look like? Ha, our creative convo hasn’t stopped yet. 

What do you think makes a brand emblem successful or memorable?
I think what makes a brand emblem successful is the story behind it. 

Can you share more on the core visual references for Akaia?
The fusion of Akaia doesn’t stop at birds. The human side of Akaia is where it really gets interesting. Akaia is hatched from elements of culture. Akaia’s stance is heavy in homage to the early b-boy characters in graf [graffiti]. The throw-up “A” on the sides of  Akaia’s head spells out the first and last letter in his name. Put ’90s rap stickers, vintage skate decks, and rave flyers in the mix, and you’ve captured this baby bird. 

You mentioned “skate culture and hip-hop” as core to this project. Can you expand on how these realms play into your concept for the icon?
The rebelliousness of early skate culture and hip-hop is very parallel. It’s the edge of what’s next. Regardless, you have to represent. That’s why when the slang word  “represent” was popular, there were so many songs and albums called “Represent”.  And that is what you have to do: represent. Ha, I sound like Akaia now. Akaia only chirps about being the flyest, regardless of what other birds and people think. 

You’ve collaborated with many brands and figures over the years—do your collaborations have a formula, or is each time different?
I would be cheating the collaborator and myself if every project weren’t different,  with its own movie. The formulas have different ingredients, but they’re all homegrown and organic. I’m proud to say that with most of my collabs, the collaborators are enjoying the ride as much as I am. 

“When creating art for my own projects, there are no rules, and nothing’s off limits.” — Reggieknow

Are there ways that creating art for branding is different from creating art for your own practice?
Ha! Definitely! When creating art for my own projects, there are no rules, and nothing’s off limits. I’ve created many things that those I know on the brand side may like, but aren’t allowed to touch. I do appreciate that they can see the vision. My personal projects are heavily therapeutic, for sure. 

How would you say your roots in Chicago still inform your approach today?
My roots in Chicago still inform my approach today in a real way. The internet has changed things. Now everything is happening at once, and we’re all seeing so many different pockets of culture to dig into. That being said, Chicago has always had its own pockets, too. The pocket I’m in is a Go-Ill one, not Chi-Town. Different people of all ages exist in both. Those who are more on the commercial side can’t see Go Ill, even though it’s right in front of them. We say, “Go-Ill, there’s nothing shy about  us.” 

Do you have a favorite footwear silhouette from Axel Arigato?
Ha, I love this question because I grew up with the very simple silhouette wave:  totally clean ’90s dice models. “Chirp,” shout out to Akaia. I see you. 

What about a favorite piece from the Akaia drop?
Damn! The sweatpants are insane, SMH. The Akaia sneakers are a good one, too.  Cartoon character on sneakers, ha! So Y2K! And we can’t forget the scarf! Wait, have you seen the Akaia character scarf yet?  

Can we expect more from Reggieknow x Axel Arigato in the future?|
This is turning out so ill, I’m almost afraid of where this is going to go, ha! Jens and I  are always talking creatively, so I’m just riding with the team. Honestly, I don’t think  I’m the only one who’s afraid of what’s next.