A new footwear brand aims to build a community of activists by embedding a charitable program in its business model.
Launched last week by fashion executives Matteo Margini and Giuseppe Galasso, Axept offers genderless, made-in-Italy leather sneakers sold on its e-commerce platform, with 1 percent of proceeds channeled directly to one of three charities the company has currently partnered with.
“The brand is the culmination of conversations we’ve had with fashion professionals on how the industry has changed from product-centric to storytelling-and branding-driven. We believe that a new wave of change is sweeping [across the market] that [focuses] on empowering customers to become activists for social causes,” said Margini, the brand’s managing director.
Axept has so far linked with Amnesty International, Save the Children and Amazon Conservation. On the website customers pre-ordering or buying sneakers can select the charity organization they want to support with their purchase.
More linkups are on the horizon, said Galasso, whose role is brand director at Axept. The label is also looking at forging ties with artists, activists and associations to be able to further fuel its give-back program and potentially channel donations in support of individual projects.
“We want to reach a critical mass of partnerships to actively contribute to single projects, providing customers with tangible evidence on the positive impact of their donations,” Galasso explained.
Rooted in celebrating diversity, the brand has translated the concept into its shoe design. The white leather lifestyle sneakers are embellished on the external side with colored leather strips forming an “x,” which the cofounders described as their take on the “not equal” sign. The internal side is left blank and can become a canvas for brand collaborations or even customer-centric co-creation initiatives.
“We have an important and serious message to convey, but we wanted to approach it lightheartedly and with playfulness. It’s about breaking clichés and championing acceptance and inclusion,” Margini said.
Each pair is priced at 165 euros for pre-orders and 195 euros for full-price, in-stock purchases.
Galasso described Axept as a footwear-centric lifestyle brand, but didn’t rule out venturing towards other product categories.
“We kicked it off from sneakers because they’ve become a commodity, they are apt for the mismatched design we wanted and we believe they would help us draw customers and activists around us,” he said.
Although Axept debuted as a direct-to-consumer brand, it has already engaged in conversations with Italian retailers and international wholesale partners and distributors. The businessmen said the project has already drawn interest in the U.S. Central America, and Europe.
