Paloma Elsesser For Vans’ Fall 2022 “Classic Since Forever” Campaign

Over the last few years, Paloma Elsesser has taken the fashion industry by storm and done so on her terms. Elsesser is a model with a deep love for community and a keen understanding of its power. These qualities make her the perfect face for Vans’ “Classic Since Forever” campaign.

Born in the north end of London to a Chilean-Swiss father and an African American mother, Elsesser grew up in Los Angeles and attended The New School in New York before breaking into the world of modeling. Since then, she’s walked in several runway shows and appeared on the covers of multiple fashion magazines, including I-D Magazine, Vogue, and Homme Girls.

“This campaign represents a community of creatives and colleagues I call friends,” Paloma said. “Vans invested in my vision for this project, so it feels inspiring to see the images we created—here in New York, with my New York family—all over the city. I’ve been wearing Vans forever, so it’s a full-circle moment.”

This season, Paloma wears the Sk8-Hi, Slip-On Stackform, Authentic Stackform, and Hi-Def t-shirt. The “Classic Since Forever” campaign highlights the brand’s most classic silhouettes, each a shoe that has been a hallmark of innovators, disruptors, creatives, and freethinkers for decades. They’re shoes that break down doors and bust up boundaries, making them natural choices for a creative like Elsesser, who defies convention and refuses to be boxed in.

The “Classic Since Forever” Campaign featuring Paloma launches today in conjunction with New York Fashion Week, where Vans will be hosting, Steal This Gallery, an “Off The Wall Experience.” The event will be open to the public from 12 pm to 8 pm on September 8th and 9th, located at 365 Broadway, Tribeca, New York.

Each silhouette in the Vans Classics collection is available now via Vans.com/classics.

Hypebeast Presents: Sole Mates – Kyle Stewart and the Vans Mike Carroll Pro Model

“For their latest issue of Sole Mates, HYPEBEAST caught up with Goodhood’s co-founder Kyle Stewart, a master of understated cool and a voice for authenticity, at his home in London to discuss how sneakers have informed his life, and why shoes such as the Vans Mike Carroll Pro Model remain in his collection after all these years”.

CLICK ON THE PIC ABOVE TO READ THE ARTICLE OVER ON HYPEBEAST

We love ourselves some Goodhood!  I just thought this was a cool article, featuring an OG heavy hitter so enjoy! -Guamstyles

Vans and STOKED Celebrate Ten Years of Partnership With New Community-Focused Initiatives

Over the course of the last decade, Vans has worked with STOKED to introduce underserved BIPOC youth to the activities, lifestyle and career opportunities provided by action sports, and the partnership will expand even further in 2022.

Founded by entrepreneur Steve Larosiliere and action sports personality Selema Masekela, STOKED is a community-focused nonprofit that combines one-on-one mentorship with the joy (and adrenaline) of action sports to help underserved BIPOC youth realize their potential. Vans is a longtime supporter of STOKED’s message of inclusion and community-first methods, serving as a proud partner and supporter of the organization for over 10 years. In 2022, the Vans x STOKED partnership will expand even further.

Based in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, STOKED has worked with over 6,000 kids and 4,000 mentors since its founding, using action sports like skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing as “safe spaces” for learning and personal growth. Kids who go through a STOKED program learn more than how to kickflip or catch a wave — they’re taught career skills, life lessons, and the importance of staying active as well.

The latest chapter in Vans’ partnership with STOKED aims to achieve two main goals: growing BIPOC participation and representation in action sports and providing STOKED participants with access, resources, and educational programming. To achieve these goals, Vans is sponsoring skate activations at STOKED’s NYC and Chicago sites, supporting STOKED’s after-school leadership development programs and weekend skateboarding/snowboarding/surfing programs, and encouraging its employees to serve as STOKED mentors through a dynamic “Career Pipeline” program that shows STOKED youth some of the career possibilities in the action sports world.

Almost 30 Vans employees have already signed on to the “Career Pipeline” program, and Vans athletes have lent their support to STOKED as well — pro snowboarder Patrick Moore is a lead STOKED ambassador who’s recruited other Vans Snow team members like Jill Perkins, Bryan Iguchi, and Hana Beaman, which helped STOKED raise an additional $100K through its yearly fundraising campaign in 2021. STOKED also supports Vans by leading DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) efforts with Vans staff and the greater action sports industry through employee and athlete workshops. 

To learn more about STOKED, head to stoked.org.

NAACP Creative Sole Scholarship Powered by Vans

Vans, the original action sports brand and advocate for creative expression, has partnered with the NAACP, the nation’s preeminent social justice and civil rights organization, to launch the ‘NAACP Creative Sole Scholarship Powered by Vans.’ As part of Vans’ commitment to uplift and drive equity, diversity and inclusion within our communities and our industry, this scholarship program aims to support African American students by providing them with monetary aid to use towards their college education as they pursue a creative career across a variety of disciplines including art, music, journalism, marketing, design, communications, or architecture. Full eligibility requirements below. 

Applications for the NAACP Creative Sole Scholarship Powered by Vans opened today and will remain open until June 18, 2021. 50 students will be selected as recipients of the scholarship by N-SPIRE, a committee within NAACP that focuses on the creation, development and awarding of scholarship programs. The selected students will be announced August 9 and each will receive $5,000 to use towards their tuition fees. As a way for Vans to continue supporting these students throughout their entire college education, Vans will award the selected students $5000 each year that they are enrolled up until four years, which means one student could receive a total of $20,000 through the program, if eligibility requirements continue to be met. Vans hopes to incentivize the selected students to complete their full college education and graduate at the end of the four years.

To learn more about the application process, eligibility or to share with friends or family who may be interested in applying for the scholarship, please be sure to visit naacp.org.

“Vans’ commitment to tackle racism while ensuring diversity and inclusion become a mainstay across communities and industries is an essential step in the fight against institutional racism. We look forward to a sustained partnership that brings about change for the Black community.” 

 YUMEKA RUSHING, CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, NAACP

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR CREATIVE SOLE SCHOLARSHIP:

Applicants must: 

•       Be African American and a member of the NAACP. 

•       Be currently enrolled full-time or accepted to an accredited college or university in the US.

•       Be a graduating high school senior or undergraduate student.

•       Possess a grade point average of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 system. 

•       Demonstrate interest in pursuing creative careers, i.e., art, music, journalism, marketing, design, communications, architecture or film as examples. 

•       Be a US resident.

Vans x Record Store Day – “Songs For You”, (Volumes 1 & 2) Honoring the Community Impact of Black-Owned Record Stores

Vans, the original action sports footwear and apparel brand, is teaming up with Record Store Day to release two albums, Songs for You, Vols. 1 & 2, to spotlight and support Black-owned record stores. The limited-edition vinyl releases will be available to purchase at independent record stores on Record Store Day 2021 (June 12th).

As a salute to the community power of Black-owned businesses, Vans and Record Store Day will reinvest proceeds from the albums into Black-owned record stores across the United States.         

Nineteen tracks from prolific Black artists are featured across the two compilations, including previously unreleased music by Roberta Flack, whose uplifting rendition of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” pays tribute to the 50th anniversary of Gaye’s groundbreaking album and song.

According to Flack, a six-time Grammy Award-winning trailblazer and one of the music industry’s most iconic R&B artists, the Black-owned record store experience is as important and influential as ever: “Black-owned record stores have historically served as places where our community has gathered to learn, listen and celebrate. They have been places of political activism, where we find our voices through the music we hear. Marvin’s song that I include in this project is sadly as relevant today as it was when it was released 50 years ago.”

Grammy Award-winning artist Common also contributes a track to honor the influence of Black-owned record stores on his life. “I owe so much to record stores and specifically Black-owned record stores,” Common recently told Variety. “It’s so beautiful to know that there’s record stores that existed in the ‘60s that are still alive and people are taking that business to those record stores and supporting vinyl,” he said. “And it’s so incredible to think about a record store opening because that means younger generations are participating.”

“Black-owned record stores have always represented something more than just a place to buy music in their communities. These businesses have been hubs for social and political activism, self-expression, culture and belonging,” said Michael Kurtz, co-founder of Record Store Day. “They are at the heart and soul of the music industry and the impact they have had on their communities to push for important social and political progress is immeasurable.”

Both volumes of Songs for You feature artwork from award-winning artist Aamba Chavis, an emerging young voice in Black visual arts. Other young changemakers lending their voices to the album include Grammy-nominated Tank and the Bangas from New Orleans. “As an artist, it’s empowering to be a part of such an amazing moment in history with people stepping up and speaking up,” said the band’s Tarriona “Tank” Ball. “This particular Record Store Day release will shine a much-needed light on the Black-owned businesses that inspire artists like us. We salute Black-owned record stores for their role in pushing music and culture forward.”

For more information about Record Store Day, please visit www.recordstoreday.com.

 

Vans Introduces New Livestream Broadcast Channel 66

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Vans is excited to announce the launch of Channel 66, a digital livestream network broadcasting weekdays from New York City, Chicago, Mexico City, and Los Angeles to audiences around the world. Vans version of community radio meets public access TV, Channel 66 is an embodiment of Vans’ commitment to support artists and creatives while also uplifting communities during such an unprecedented time. The COVID-19 pandemic has forever altered the events landscape and Vans has a deep history of reimagining event experiences and grassroots programs.

Channel 66 spotlights each city’s unique heritage in sub-culture by programming through the lens of the people who live it. Channel 66 offers a live audio and video broadcast featuring DJ sets, curated radio shows, talks, workshops, and musical performances across music, art, action sports and community. The General in Brooklyn, NY, House of Vans Chicago, Mexico City (broadcasting Spanish speaking shows), and Vans DTLA serve as Channel 66 studio locations. 

Programming highlights include curated shows like Chessboxing with GZA, New Direction New York Hardcore show with Walter Schreifels, Afropunk’s Channel Interference, Poetry and lyricism by Young Chicago Authors, The Girl Ultra Show connecting music and fashion, and All Ages Show spotlighting Los Angeles’s rich heritage in DIY and punk. 

Early show guests and DJs feature Japanese Breakfast, Channel Tres, Vic Mensa, Laura Jane Grace, Duckwrth, Rosa Pistola, Flea, Serena Isioma, Vans Pro skater Daniel Lutheran and many more. Additionally, Channel 66 turns over the airwaves to local skate shops, restaurants, music venues, and independent record labels.

Channel 66 went live on February 8th and will continue to broadcast starting at 11:00am EST / 8:00 am PST every weekday with Friday nights featuring marquee live performances and dance-oriented DJ sets. As distance and separation from others has become an unfortunate reality for everyone across the world, Vans strives to cultivate Channel 66 as a place where audiences from all walks of life can come together to find inspiration.

To stay up to date with Channel 66 broadcasts and upcoming events online follow along at vans.com/channel66.

Follow Channel 66 on Instagram at vanschannel66.

more pics after the jump Read More

An Open Letter from Vans Global President Doug Palladini On Brand Commitment

To our Vans Family everywhere,

We have all lived through the evolution of COVID-19 and continue to personally experience its drastic impact and disruption on our work and home lives. While the lasting impact of this global pandemic is unclear, I am overwhelmingly proud of what Vans is doing to support those in need as our global communities continue to grapple with the realities of COVID-19.

As a brand engrained in the belief that we aren’t a shoe and apparel company but a people company that makes shoes and apparel, looking after our people has always been and will remain our top priority. This commitment rang true in March as we made the decision to shift corporate offices to remote working and temporarily closed our stores in the U.S. and Canada to prioritize the safety and health of you and all of our store associates. I am especially humbled by the fact that in partnership with VF Corp., we’ve been able to ensure that our store associates have continued to receive full pay and benefits during closures. Additionally, I want to express my personal appreciation for our distribution center associates who continue to facilitate consumer purchases from Vans.com. Their dedication to our brand is truly inspiring and together with VF Corp., we continue to implement proactive steps to uphold the well-being of our associates.

To help our extended Vans Family, we recently launched ‘Foot The Bill’, which is focused on supporting small businesses who are feeling the incredible strain that COVID-19 has put on their livelihoods. 160 community-driven businesses that touch our four brand pillars of art, music, action sports and street culture have been given access to design and upload a Customs pattern that represents their unique persona. Fans can support their local business by selecting its pattern for purchase and further customizing it through the Vans Customs offerings. Net proceeds of each pair sold will go directly towards helping that small business partner and means we have committed to contributing up to approximately $4 million USD.

Furthermore, as a global footwear and apparel manufacturer, we recognize our responsibility to answer the call to help the many individuals who are risking their own health and well-being to provide vital services to those in need during this pandemic. We were determined to answer this call and have since redirected a portion of our supply chain operations to partner with Hedley & Bennett, current Vans partner and kitchen and workwear brand, in the creation of more than 250,000 reusable facial masks made from the canvas we utilize for Vans shoes. Beginning in May, these masks will be donated to organizations across Los Angeles and beyond who are working on the front lines to ensure those in need receive meals.

We’ve also partnered with designer Michael Schmidt through the donation of more than 40,000 Vans shoelaces to enable their effort to create and donate medical face shields. With two 18” shoelaces required per face shield, the shoelaces will provide a critical component for 20,000 units to be donated to health workers across the U.S.

As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, it is inspiring to see in times of crisis, the power of volunteering and those who are striving to help communities adjust and overcome struggles. As a thank you to the countless volunteers working tirelessly across food banks in some of the hardest hit regions of the U.S. such as California, New Jersey, Texas, Michigan, Florida, Virginia and Georgia, we just want to say thank you. To date, we’ve donated more than 13,500 pairs of shoes and are dedicated to ensuring this number grows.

It is also important to note that we aren’t alone in our commitment to support our extended Vans Family and communities during these tough times. As you all would have seen, the VF Foundation, the private grantmaking organization funded by VF Corporation has made the initial commitment to donate $1.5 million USD to support local communities and a further two-for-one community match campaign, up to an additional $500,000. I encourage each of you to visit the websites of our sister brands to learn more about how each is answering the call to action through various monetary, product, and material donations and how you personally can help.

While the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact many aspects of our lives, I am incredibly proud of the resilient and ongoing commitment of our global Vans Family. It is through our combined efforts and commitment to our communities that we will help ensure a brighter future.

Thank you,

 

Doug Palladini

Global Brand President / Vans

Off The Wall Since ‘66

Vans and Tony Hawk Announce Official Brand Partnership

Vans®, the original action sports footwear and apparel brand, officially announced the beginning of a historic partnership with skateboarding legend and global youth icon, Tony Hawk. Sharing a profound heritage in action sports and an undisputed commitment to skate culture, Vans and Tony Hawk unite in 2020 to create authentic and inspiring brand initiatives that will enable creative expression through skateboarding.

“Vans has supported skateboarding since the very beginning, and never wavered in its commitment, even with massive mainstream success,” said Tony Hawk. “I have always respected their integrity, so it is an honor to officially join forces and help continue to grow skateboarding culture in the most authentic way possible.”

Joining Vans as an official global brand ambassador, Tony Hawk will partner with the brand to promote Vans’ global brand platforms, including his continued involvement as a color commentator in the Vans Park Series, in addition to producing a brand-new professional Vert skateboarding competition.

“Tony Hawk’s name is synonymous with skateboarding for fans around the world,” said Bobby Gascon, global director of action sports for Vans. “He is a pioneer and has inspired millions to pick up a board with his incredible talent. We are honored that he’ll be supporting Vans’ mission to promote and grow skateboarding globally.”

Hawk’s earliest memory of Vans dates back to the late ‘70s. “Vans were the first skate shoes I ever wore, beginning in 1978,” Hawk shared. “My dad bought me a pair and I begged him for the ‘ankle guard’ accessory because high-tops weren’t available yet. I wore Vans almost exclusively until the mid ‘80s.”

In the current environment of collective social distancing, Vans and Hawk remain focused on the positive impact that skateboarding can provide. By creating initiatives and events that support skate communities around the world, this partnership will bring fans together through engaging social livestream campaigns, philanthropic give-back programs, and creative product collaborations.

As a start, Vans recently launched “Foot The Bill”, a customization initiative to support small, independent business partners from around the world who are dealing with the direct business impacts of COVID-19. With skate shops as the central hub for skate communities around the world, “Foot The Bill” will work to support them with custom designed Vans footwear. The net proceeds from each pair of Vans Customs sold through the program will go directly to that small business to provide some relief during this challenging time.

“These days are extremely difficult for so many, which is why we are hoping to provide some fun and creativity for the global community to enjoy,” Hawk said of the program. “In unprecedented times like these, we need to stay positive, support each other and keep creating.”

To learn more about Tony Hawk, and the Vans Skateboarding program, please visit Vans.com/skate.

more pics after the jump Read More

Vans For Homeless Youth of Orange County (GoFundMe campaign)

Attention!! Calling on everyone in our Vans community and beyond! I’ve got an important mission that I’m hoping you all can get behind me on.  I wanted to do something special for a special group of kids down in the OC, with a few of my friends from Waves of Grace, @ofthesamevein and @thelab_bp. These kids’ situation sucks, to put it lightly.  If you have HBO, please search for the documentary “Homeless: The Motel Kids of Orange County”.  The doc is about 10 yrs old, but the school still exists and supports new kids each year through their charity Hero For Kids.  Let’s get together and show these kids that we fully support them and just show how amazing our Vans community is!

DONATE HERE!

Vans BLACK RAINBOWS – Dogtown Event Recap (Friday 8.9.19)

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This past Friday, I had the pleasure of being invited to the opening of BLACK RAINBOWS, a 10-day immersive experience in Venice Beach, put on by Vans, that transports visitors back to 1976 to celebrate the energetic time period and place that Vans’ first skateboarding shoe, the Era, was born.

If you want to share my experience and over 50 pics from this amazing event, read on after the jump (sort of a long read!) Read More