Simone Legno

Simone Legno (; born 16 June 1977) is an Italian artist best known for the creation of the tokidoki brand. Legno states his designs are influenced by his interest in Japan and its culture, as well as street art and graffiti.

Early life Legno was raised in a Catholic family in Rome. After dropping out of college, where he studied political science, Legno studied at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Rome. Legno built Tokidoki as a personal website around 2001.

During his time in school, he developed a profound admiration for Japanese art and culture, nurturing a desire to create his own website dedicated to these passions. He would visit Japanese cultural centers. His body of work drew inspiration from literature, encompassing a diverse array of sources such as Lonely Planet guides, art prints, and Japanese art books and posters. Each artwork drawn with a passion towards Japanese culture. During a past interview, Legno articulated, "It empowers us to confront each new day with resilience, to envision uplifting possibilities, and to nurture the hope that something extraordinary may unfold in our lives." Tokidoki embodies a harmonious fusion of diverse visual elements and cultural influences, representing an exquisite synthesis of contrasting forces coexisting in unity. With this website, he created various illustrations, advertisements, designs, and other freelance media for clients. This caught the attention of Hard Candy co-founder Pooneh Mohajer and her husband Ivan Arnold. The two contacted him, and after meeting, they formed the tokidoki business venture.

Legno's work includes characters such as the "Moofia," "Cocomando," "Wild Boys," "'Til Death Do Us Part," and "Cactus Friends," which include personified cows, tigers, and monkeys, or Japanese-inspired characters in bright outfits. Legno also creates acrylic on canvas works featuring "more modern, fashionable versions of the women found on classic Japanese woodblock prints."

In July 2023, a 400-page monograph titled "tokidoki – The Art Of Simone Legno" was launched which compiles his art and business projects over the year.

Since relocating from Rome to Los Angeles, Legno's art has become prominent in the pop culture scene. As stated by Legno: "Tokidoki is a happy world... that I imagine, live and dream of".

Gallery Representation Hong Kong, K11 Art Mall. tokidoki distributes its products to Nordstrom, Macy's, Fred Segal, Karmaloop and approximately 1000 boutiques in more than 60 countries worldwide.

Past projects ProjectFOX