Exploring wearable art! Vans and MoMA debut second instalment of footwear and apparel

Fashion and art have long gone hand in hand, with many designers having a long lasting love affair with artistic collaborations. Whether it’s Prada x Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, Alexander McQueen and Damien Hirst or Schiaparelli and Salvador Dali turning high fashion into sought after art, it’s proving fashion as an art form. These designer brands opened the door for the rest of the fashion world to take a look and take part.

Vans, the original action sports brand has collaborated again, after their first successful debut collaboration in September, with The Museum of Modern Art. Launching their second installment of footwear and apparel, this collaboration has been inspired by the works of artists Edvard Munch, Jackson Pollock, Lybov Popova and Faith Ringgold. Working together to instill creative expression and uplift art education, the work of the artists has been carefully and thoughtfully transferred onto Vans classic footwear and apparel styles.

Showcasing Vans Era’s, Authentics, Sk8 Hi’s, Classic slip ons, Old Skool back packs, bucket hats and classic t-shirts and sweatshirts, all with an enticing artistic twist. Angie Dita, Vans Head of Global Footwear Design for Lifestyle Footwear stated that the, “collaboration with MoMA is a true partnership that involved working together to select both the works and footwear to ensure an authentic connection”. The Vans brand promotes creative self-expression in youth culture so it comes as no surprise that they have worked with artists to give their classic pieces a twist and that the collaboration with MoMA was to be continued into this new collection.

Faith Ringgold, best known for her narrative quilts, added bright colour and geometric shapes to the vans footwear, storytelling through the details and bringing in quilted borders to contextualise her work.

MoMA. Curators and Vans also worked closely with Ringgold to showcase her feminist poster art. The art includes her ‘Woman Free Yourself 1971’ bringing bold type to the left side of the Vans Era while her ‘Freedom Woman Now 1971’ poster art has been applied to the right side to “form the affirmative demands that were called during the arrest of Angela Davis.” The artist’s powerful words are also presented on a reversible bucket hat and long sleeve tee. Ringgold’s, ‘Seven Passages to a Flight’ made in 1990, inspired a second footwear style, the Classic Slip-on. Inscribed on the sidewall is a quote, from Ringgold, printed in her handwriting, that states, “My mother said I’d have to work twice as hard to go half as far.” Faith Ringgold’s artwork highlights her experiences with racism and social injustice. 

A print version of Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’ has been created on the panels of the Vans Era in a repetitive pattern. The artwork captures the “infinite scream of nature and angst” and is also worked into the Old Skool backpack, short sleeve tee and pullover hoodie.

Action painting, flinging and pouring ropes of paint onto his surfaces is what Jackson Pollock was best known for. Transforming the Vans Authentic with an all over application of his work ‘One: Number 31, 1950’ the pieces are eye catching and captivating, while complimented by a digitally printed short sleeve button-down and camper style hat.

An act of “construction” using color, line and shape to create dimensional work that expressed movement and dynamism was the way Popova approached painting. Popova’s ‘Untitled, 1917’ has been applied to the Vans Sk8-Hi for this collaboration. Popova used each medial and lateral side to translate her avant-garde vision and can also be found on the Vans fleece and ringer tee.

The Vans and MoMA collaboration will be available globally on November 11 on Vans.eu, at Vans retail, MoMA Design Store locations, store.moma.org and select retail locations where Vans are sold. To experience the collection and learn more, visit vans.eu/moma.