Kenzo and Vans Revive Floral Sneaker Collaboration
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Kenzo and Vans have partnered again on a footwear collection, launching on June 17.
The two companies last collaborated in 2013 when the LVMH Mo?t Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned French luxury fashion house was under the design direction of Carol Lim and Humberto Leon of Opening Ceremony. The collaboration is comprised of Vans Sk8-Hi and Old-Skool sneakers in three floral prints. To complement the shoes, Felipe Oliveira Baptista, the brand’s new creative director, produced a 46-piece ready-to-wear collection inspired by the floral prints and a skateboard made in collaboration with The Skateroom.
The collection marks Oliveira Baptista’s first collaboration for Kenzo, and the brand’s first big project since taking over as head of design in July 2019. He said the sneaker prints are archival floral patterns from Kenzo that were repurposed for the apparel collection that he described as a “dynamic, youthful wardrobe.”
Pieces include floral dresses and outerwear, tank tops, T-shirts and hoodies with allover floral patterns or simple graphic, denim pants and skirts, and bob hats, baseball caps, backpacks and bags.
He added, “The Vans collaboration is a very Californian wardrobe inspired by the world of skateboarding, some bleached basics/essentials from which all jerseys are in organic cotton.”
Finally, the skateboard deck made in collaboration with The Skateroom, also features a Kenzo floral pattern on one side and both brand logos on the opposite side. The Skateroom is dedicated to producing, selling and promoting art on skate decks.
The Kenzo x Vans collection will be available at select stores, including the Kenzo boutique at Hudson Yards in New York City and Beverly Center in Los Angeles. The skateboard will be limited to 150 pieces and sold at the Kenzo Beverly Center store and online. One hundred percent of the profits will be donated to a social skate project in Jamaica created to help and empower at-risk youth.
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