5 Questions with Instagram’s Favorite Sneaker Illustrator

Ever scrolled through Instagram or Twitter or TikTok and thought, "Wow, this creator is dope?" Because that happens to us. A lot. So we started reaching out.

Meet Octavio Platón Akel, the digital illustrator behind the sneakerhead-favorite Instagram account @monsieursaturday. His work has been picked up by @brkicks, @bodega and numerous industry insiders. Based in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Platón Akel uses Illustrator to create his art.

“I started to follow more buyers, community managers, marketing directors and creative directors that all worked in the fashion industry, and I wanted to be a part of that, so that’s how I started to illustrate them and contacting them about their illustration,” he told Highsnobiety. He’s active in Instagram’s direct messages, reaching out to his idols directly. 

Here are five questions we really wanted to ask.

I have loved drawing since I was little. I was always doodling—all my school notebooks had drawings all around them. When I grew older, around age 21, I saw illustrations in a more "big-picture" sense. I started directing it toward what I loved, like fashion. I dreamed that I could illustrate and screen print my designs on T-shirts or stickers. One idea led to another, and then I developed the concept for Monsieur Saturday.

For me, shoes define the look and style people want to show. I wore red sneakers in high school, and that made me feel pretty good. I always dress depending on what sneakers I’m going to wear that day.

I’m always looking for what is relevant and who is making a path in fashion. I try to follow that and my instincts.

I guess at the beginning it was a way to show my art, and then I started profiting from it. I’m still not sure where this will take me. I'm already happy with what I have accomplished.

Perseverance and discipline are key to your art and projects.