【FOCUS IT.] What is Arena Embroidery, the embroidery company that embroiders world-class brands?

Arena Embroidery, a Brooklyn, New York studio that embroiders items for brands with an overwhelming presence in the fashion scene such as Supreme and rapper Drake, is currently holding a pop-up at BEAMS T Harajuku. The lineup includes a variety of original products. The lineup includes a variety of original products. Why is Arena Embroidery so trusted by cutting-edge brands? And what kind of designs are the original products? We asked Rocco Arena, the president of Arena Embroidery, to talk about the mysterious company from its origins to the present.

Photo_Masashi Ura
Text_Shogo Komatsu
Edit_Shuhei Wakiyama

From the world of video to the path of embroidery.

Before he started embroidering, Rocco studied film at New York University, dreaming of producing music videos. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked on HIPHOP music videos. However, it was here that he had a fateful encounter that led him to his current position.

Nike Sportswear invited me to produce custom-made clothing. I started that job to make money. I learned apparel techniques there, and at the same time, I started embroidery. I also started my career as an embroidery artist. I became so absorbed in it that I forgot all about the videos."

Although he switched his focus to apparel, he says that the philosophy he had developed in the world of visual images has been applied to his current manufacturing.

A professor at the university told me, "Every film is also a story about making a film. That is also true for apparel. The finished product has a story to tell until it is completed.

In 2016, he acquired an embroidery machine from his childhood friend Alex Dondero (owner of Look Studio), who he grew up with in Philadelphia, and founded Arena Embroidery in 2018. With the embroidery machine, which he still uses today, he will begin working in earnest.

When I embroidered for the first time, I felt like I was "teaching" the embroidery machine what I wanted to draw. I gave the embroidery machine detailed instructions of what I imagined, and I could actually see with my own eyes what the machine had created. My embroidery is both digital and analog. I think the charm of embroidery lies in the fact that I can express myself using all three methods.

Rocco's embroidery career spans 13 years, and "Arena Embroidery" currently consists of Rocco and three other members. One of them, Naru, is a Japanese from Osaka. Rocco fell in love with Naru's skills when she brought her graphic portfolio to the studio, and they began working together. As mentioned above, Rocco has taken on embroidery work for some of the world's leading brands, and he explains why he has been inundated with requests from a wide range of clients.

The main reason for our current connection is simply that we worked diligently. Even if we don't see the Arena Embroidery name on an item, we treat it as a collaboration, paying attention to every detail and pouring all of our creativity into the work. Not only is this valuable to the client, but it is also exciting and rewarding for us, and we get more out of it than just the profit.

Arena Embroidery" has provided embroidery for a variety of brands, but one of its most memorable jobs was for Rocco. It was a special one for Rocco, who loves sports.

The NBA project was the most memorable. I designed a cap for my hometown team, the Philadelphia 76ers, and I was very happy to create a championship jacket for the Toronto Raptors when they won their first championship.

Although we cannot sell them this time, we have made them up to now.

The next step in embroidery expression.

Rocco has always loved to draw. As a child, he attended the Philadelphia Museum of Art and was greatly influenced by the series "Fifty Days at ILIAM," based on Greek mythology by Cy Twombly (painter and sculptor).

The lineup includes T-shirts, parkas, caps, and more.

The design was inspired by the realities of manufacturing, competition in New York City, and sports. Tiffany & Co. in New York City and New Era® in Buffalo, NY, to name a few, were the ultimate sources of inspiration. Tajima, an embroidery machine manufacturer in Nagoya, Japan, is the ultimate source of inspiration, skilled yet innovative.

The iconic butterfly and moth designs in the collection are the current "Arena Embroidery," he said.

Butterflies and moths have two lives, the larva and the adult. I chose adult butterflies and moths as motifs to express that the current "Arena Embroidery" is the second stage.

Arena Embroidery's original products, featuring stylish graphics tailored with world-class embroidery quality, will be on display at the pop-up store currently being held at BEAMS T Harajuku. This September, a pop-up store was held at the vintage store "Procell" in New York, but this is the first time the store has been held overseas and the first time the original products have been unveiled.

I was so excited and honored to be approached by [BEAMS T]. I love the aesthetics and perspective of the 'BEAMS' scene, and the influence of their collaborations with various brands is immeasurable. I am very grateful to them for recognizing our craftsmanship and artistry, and for motivating us to develop our own original products.

Arena Embroidery" has a solid career, but has just taken a new step forward. We are certain that you will not be able to take your eyes off of the brand in the future, and the first batch of original products is also a must-see. How about experiencing the air of New York at "BEAMS T Harajuku"?