Slektion: The Agency Connecting Brands With Artists

Slektion helps brands to create unusual creative product collaborations, limited editions and unusual art projects with some of the most celebrated and respected artists of our time. We caught up with them to learn about their holistic approach to creative collaboration with contemporary artists and brands.

From a brand perspective – what is the ideal approach to product-based collaborations?
Regardless of the type of collaboration, starting with an open mind to develop something new is crucial. Remember, you are working with someone who is established in another field, so collaboration should not be approached as a design project, but rather as a creative journey that requires a lot of trust. Acknowledging that collaboration involves a certain level of “letting loose” as an important step. Once you have taken that step, building trust and coming up with the right ideas and approaches will help move the project forward – that is where we come in.

Lucas Beaufort for Dedicated Brands

What is Slektion and how did you create an agency based on creative collaborations?
Slektion was founded in 2020 by Philippe Takama and Lukas Urbaum. We always had a deep affiliation with urban art, but the final push to make this a company was based on a need we came across during our work in the past. We both held various jobs in snowboarding, skateboarding and “Urban Culture” if you will – and had been collaborating frequently with other brands and artists. Despite the challenges we faced in collaborating with other brands and artists, the results were often brilliant. Determined to find solutions to these challenges, we created a company that has since produced numerous innovative products for outstanding brands, offered creative input and project management to many remarkable teams, and sold beautiful prints and original art on the side.

What’s in it for brands who work with you?
Brand collaborations have been popularized, especially since Supreme took it to the next level by creating a whole section of their brand that could work on any “vessel” they used, from sneakers to bricks. While some benefits like shared audiences and increased sales are measurable, others like open-mindedness and building a deeply creative and adventurous brand perception may not be as tangible. Collaborating with artists, who are essentially brands themselves, offers similar benefits in terms of visibility and reference to large audiences, which are often built up over years. In addition, you gain access to the lifelong work of a super-talented person, an “open-to-listen” target audience, and creative design work. We view it as offering your brand as a canvas for artists to create something significant yet entirely new. This is the sustainable version of a brand collaboration.

Jun Inoue for Wilier Triestina Unico

Tell us about your approach – how do you work?
As both agents and managers providing creative agency services, we have a unique responsibility to protect both our clients and the creative talent we represent. Our network consists of hundreds of creative individuals who have built brands around their names, and we must juggle multiple interests to achieve success. It all starts with a clear understanding of our client’s brand and company vision. From there, we carefully curate potential artist partners, always striving for authenticity in our collaborations. We believe in creating win-win situations that benefit all involved parties. The challenge lies in managing these interests while ensuring that the creative process runs smoothly, resulting in high-quality content that satisfies everyone. It’s a delicate balance that we take seriously and constantly strive to improve upon. After that, it’s managing the creative process, crafting high-quality content and keeping everyone happy. The simple stuff, haha!