In some collaborations, marketing is involved. In this one, it's about DNA, of territory, of passionate people, and of an object that could not have been born anywhere else but in LilleThe enclosure Maestro × SKWAK is not a derivative product: it is the fruit of an encounter between two creative universes, nourished by the same city but shaped by very different paths.
SKWAK: the artist who paints life like a firework
SKWAK is an illustrator and designer with a modern, euphoric, never aggressive graphic style, a “joyful cacophony”. His style, instantly recognizable, blends the pop culture, comics, street art, video games, advertisingand urban energy with a contagious spontaneity.
SKWAK grew up in the North, nourished by the popular, creative and warm spirit of LilleA city that celebrates street artists as much as the contemporary art scene. Its works explode with interconnected characters, like so many simultaneous thoughts, which the viewer discovers layer by layer. A true “emotional Where's Waldo,” where every corner tells a story.
Over time, SKWAK's style has crossed borders and spread far beyond Lille. Its vibrant world has attracted the attention of renowned institutions and brands. Centre Pompidou This gives him institutional visibility, confirming his place in the contemporary art scene. He then designs the album cover for the group. MGMTwhich has become a cult classic among fans. Collaborations followed one after another: McDonald's, Microsoft, Pilot, Citizen…so many audacious projects that bring his art into dialogue with very different worlds. His works travel, are exhibited in France, to USA visit us at the Japan, each time encountering an audience fascinated by his visual energy.
Yet, despite this international recognition, SKWAK remains deeply attached to his roots. He continues to create in Lille, convinced that creative sincerity requires a real connection to his origins. His painting remains handcrafted, personal, and physical, far removed from the cycles of industrial production. Each work bears the imprint of the hand, the gesture, and the time spent, faithful to the authenticity that made him famous.
Octavio: the Lille-based startup that wants to reconcile Hi-Fi and modernity
Octavio's story also begins in Lille, but in a completely different setting.
Its founders are former musicology students. Sound enthusiasts who grew up with vinyl records and their parents' Hi-Fi systems… before moving on to streaming platforms. And that's where everything changed.
The conclusion is simple:
Vintage audio systems, magnificent as they are, still sound incredibly good… but are disconnected from the digital world.
Should they have been abandoned? Replaced?
Octavio rejects this “throw everything away to buy new” logic.
Their mission then took shape: to imagine a connected Hi-Fi system that respects existing technology rather than replacing it, that prioritizes repair over waste, and that simplifies use instead of complicating it. The goal is not to keep up with the technological race, but to restore meaning, sustainability, and a sense of connection to audio.
Several key elements quickly structure Octavio's DNA. The brand is first and foremost FrenchBorn and based in Lille, it is rooted in a region that values culture, craftsmanship, and human innovation. Its production is Europeanwith local supply chains, assembly, and partners, in order to guarantee quality, traceability, and reduced impact. Its approach aims to responsibleby focusing on quality, durability, and repairability, far removed from the disposable model. Finally, Octavio champions a sound accessible audiophilewithout barriers or elitism: high quality should remain an open pleasure, not a privilege.
Their first product, the streamer Octavio Stream, receives a Diapason d'Or for its sound quality. A distinction that propels the brand as a credible new player in modern Hi-Fi: close to users, attentive to their needs, and far from the big marketing machines.
La TeacherTheir connected speaker perfectly embodies this vision. It creates a bridge between yesterday and tomorrow: the warmth of authentic and immersive Hi-Fi sound, combined with the simplicity and convenience of today's streaming.
Two visions, one same obsession: to make people feel
When Octavio and SKWAK They meet, and the connection is immediate. Very quickly, the conversation goes beyond the simple idea of a business collaboration. The two worlds recognize each other and align: they speak of emotion, of transmission, of creation, with the same fire in their eyes shared by those who do things with conviction.
Although they come from different backgrounds—one rooted in audio, the other in visual art—three deep convictions unite them. First, the certainty that all creation begins with humanity: a hand, an ear, a sincere intention. Second, the idea that technology should never take over, but remain at the service of the senses, of lived experience, of feeling. Finally, the conviction that Lille is not merely a shared backdrop, but a truly fertile ground where bold ideas are born.
Very quickly, their ambition went beyond simply adding graphic design to a product. They envisioned something else: a hand-painted speaker, without duplication, where each piece breathes and vibrates, bearing the imprint of the artist's hand. A handcrafted creation, conceived as a work of art.
Each Maestro × SKWAK thus becomes a unique piece, signed by the artist and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. No two are identical. Ever. It is a canvas, but a canvas that plays music, that lives and shares sonic as well as visual emotions.
A work that continues to live on in the home of its host.
It is at this precise moment that the project transcends the mere notion of an object. The Maestro × SKWAK is not meant to remain motionless on a shelf: it lives. It takes its place in a living room, an office, or a workshop, and naturally finds its place in everyday life. It accompanies gentle awakenings, impromptu dinners, parties with friends, creative evenings, and those conversations that stretch late into the night.
It doesn't present itself as a trophy to be admired from afar. It becomes a presencealmost a member of the household, bringing its warmth and energy.
Something unique is created: as if the music it plays makes the colors that adorn it vibrate… and as if those same colors intensify the music. A sensitive dialogue between sound and art, where each enhances the other.
The Maestro × SKWAK is not mass-produced: each one is made to order, with a delay of 4 to 6 weeks.
This rhythm is not a marketing strategy. It simply reflects the reality of the artistic gesture: SKWAK paints each piece himselfBy hand, with the time and attention that a unique work deserves. Some creations should not be rushed. They must be awaited, like all precious pieces.
Beyond the object itself, this project tells a story. It's the story of an artist who infuses a part of himself into every shade of color, of a brand seeking to redefine the way we listen to music, and of a city, Lille, that encourages unconventional ideas and embraces unexpected encounters. It also recounts the birth of a bridge-object, poised between art and sound, capable of uniting visual and auditory emotion in a single experience.
The Maestro × SKWAK is not simply a speaker. It is a materialized encounter, the trace of a creative dialogue where each party contributed their truth, their expertise, and their sensibility. The audience, for its part, does not simply receive a product: it welcomes a work to be experienced, one that is listened to as much as it is felt.
Patrick Koune
