Vans X MoMA

posted by Robyn Pitts September 29, 2020

Vans and MoMA have collaborated to launch a range of special edition footwear and apparel that celebrates the museum’s collection and works by prominent artists. The two-part series debuts with Salvador Dalí, Vasily Kandinsky and Claude Monet, launching worldwide on September 30th 2020, to be followed by a second artist release this November. Each product was designed with careful consideration and a deep appreciation of the art, translated on Vans Classic styles.

“MoMA is excited to finally reveal the Vans collaboration as they, too, have a rich legacy of supporting artistic expression,” states Robin Sayetta, Associate Director of Licensing and Partnerships at MoMA. “We pursue a limited number of product collaborations and our goal is always to engage a broader audience with modern art. We are thrilled to reach art lovers around the world through Vans’ global network.”

Inspired by the subconscious, dreams and the imagination, Salvador Dalí’s surrealist works blend the real and the invented. One of his best-known paintings, The Persistence of. Memory 1931, has been interpreted on to the medial and lateral panels of the Vans Old Skool Twist. The construction of the footwear model has been twisted to go beyond the perception of reality and is finished with a gum sole and distorted foxing stripe which can also be found on Vans long sleeve and pullover apparel styles.

Kandinsky, a pioneer of abstract art, believed that both colour and form evoked their own power and emotion independently from images and objects. Using a print he made while teaching at the German Bauhaus school of art and design, Orange 1923, Vans’ Classic Slip-On celebrates this investigation into abstract forms and signs, meticulously covering the canvas uppers and is additionally translated across a short sleeve tee, crewneck and snapback hat.

Rounding out the artist series is Claude Monet, the driving force of the impressionist movement who documented the ever-changing French countryside throughout his plein air landscape work, made from observing nature. The collaboration between Vans and MoMA showcases Water Lilies 1914-1926, works made in Monet’s later years at his home in Giverny, atop the Vans’ Authentic along with a hat, fleece and backpack style.

The initial release also includes a 10-piece assortment of MoMA branded footwear, apparel and accessories. Showcasing a colourful interpretation of Vans’ iconic checkerboard with bright, bold colours, it also takes direct inspiration from the Museum’s newly expanded and re-imagined identity. The collection features Vans and MoMA logos across the latest ComfyCush Old Skool and Era silhouettes. The assortment is complemented by Vans and MoMA branded apparel and accessories including long and short sleeve tees for adults and kids, as well as a lightweight cinch backpack.

To spark creative expression and engage children with art, the expansive Vans and MoMA collaboration also offers an exclusive childrens range. The product line focuses on colour and interactivity. Vans worked with MoMA educators to develop a Classic Slip-On with hook-and-loop shapes, which allows kids to customise their shoes and provides a hands-on creative experience. The Old Skool style offers a unique opportunity to educate children about colour theory and colour mixing through the creaton of a strong distinction between primary and secondary colours in its aesthetic. The Vans and MoMA Old Skool and Old Skool V include a special hang tag affixed with a genuine colour wheel, offering the opportunity to educate children about colour theory.