Buscemi footwear brand names Tony Arcabascio the Artistic Director

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Jul 22, 2016

Luxury footwear label Buscemi announced on Thursday the appointment of Alife founder Tony Arcabascio as Artistic Director of the brand. Arcabascio joins the team with over 25 years of experience in streetwear and the fashion industry.

 
The industry veteran started his career as a graffiti artist and t-shirt graphic designer before working at Sportswear International and Jane Magazine. In 1999, Arcabascio founded the streetwear brand Alife and opened the Alife Rivington Club boutique two years later. He most recently worked on collaborations with Adidas, Levi’s, the Standard Hotel and Damiani Editore, a specialty printer and publisher.

Alife is one the most influential streetwear brands in the US and has been instrumental in shaping the fashion retail market in New York City's Lower East Side. Today, the Lower East Side is home to fashion brands and boutiques that serve as purveyors of youth culture and emerging young talent, much like what Alife brought to the market in the early 2000s.

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"Tony joining the team really rounds out the authenticity in our global marketing department, and his artistic direction is something we have been looking for since the inception of the brand," says Creative Director, Jon Buscemi. "Working with such a massive talent like Tony is a huge complement to our brand."
 
Buscemi founded his namesake footwear label in 2013 along with the Brooklyn-based sneaker brand Greats with co-founder Ryan Babenzien. While Greats offers affordable, stylish sneakers, the Buscemi brand offers high quality leather footwear. The small leather goods brand is currently stocked at high-end boutiques and contemporary clothing stores worldwide including Kith.