TOKION EDITORIAL TEAM 
PIZZANISTA! is a pizza place that opened in Los Angeles in 2010. The owner is the world-recognized legendary skateboarder, Salman Agha; the pizzeria, that obtains the background rooted in the skateboard culture, is not only loved by locals but has also become widely popular from its New York-style pizza and elaborate flavor. The pizzeria’s branch in Japan, PIZZANISTA! TOKYO, which has been introduced in TOKION before, is directed by the two men who are at the forefront of the skateboard scene, Shinpei Ueno and Katsumi Minami, and has been gaining attention as an epicenter of culture with its original merchandise and otherwise.
The original items that have newly launched adopt artworks by highly praised independent artists. The three featured artists are: Shusaku Takaoka, who showcases the array of his collage arts on his social media; yushi, one of the members of the Tokyo skate crew—KP TOKYO; and Alex Aranovich, who also does designs for the original PIZZANISTA! in LA. The graphics rendered by these artists are printed on the items including hoodies, sweaters, T-shirts, and tote bags—They are in fact, beyond souvenirs and more like art pieces.
The collaboration items will be sold exclusively on PIZZANISTA! TOKYO’s official online store from January 16th to mid-February and dropping in series. More original goods are planned to be released on an irregular basis, and regarding that, the director Shinpei Ueno comments, “we want to collaborate with national as well as international artists and develop PIZZANISTA!’s original items that construe the essence of my direction.”
Translation Ai Kaneda
