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Women’s History Month has officially begun and to celebrate, Vault by Vans reunites with Sarah Andelman. With a long list of experience in the creative world, Andelman has inspired women everywhere to chase their dreams. Art has always been at the center of her projects as she’s the founder of publishing and creative agency Just An Idea, and the co-founder and former creative director of the legendary retail concept store Colette. Andelman has curated more than 200 exhibits, making her taste and ability to tell a story one-of-a-kind. The Sarah Andelman x Vault by Vans International Women’s Day Collection consists of designs created by four of Andelman’s favorite artists. The featured artists include Julia Chiang, Fumiko Imano, Sindiso Khumalo, and Soko. The collection includes footwear styles for adults and kids, as well as a range of clothing.
“I have always been a Vans lover,” says Sarah Andelman. “For this Vault by Vans collection, I immediately thought of these four creative women I met in different cities, different years, all under different contexts but they all share a passion for what they do, and they’re all amazing in dealing with their work and personal life. I hope their collections reflect their philosophies and will be appreciated by women of all ages.”
This collection is unique in the sense that it approaches Women’s History Month in a non-traditional way. Rather than focusing on an overarching theme, the collection bombards you with bright colors and bold graphics. This is a refreshing frame to view Women’s History Month, which is often doused in pink and left to dry. The collection features a variety of silhouettes including the Vans OG Authentic LX by Julia Chiang, OG Sk8-Hi LX by Fumiko Imano, OG Style 24 NTC LX by Sindiso Khumalo, and Old Skool V by Soko.
The Sarah Andelman x Vault by Vans International Women’s Day Collection releases on March 4, 2022. To purchase, visit select Vault by Vans retailers.
Additionally, Vault by Vans and Sarah Andelman will host a pop-up event on Saturday, March 5 in Paris. Doors will be open to the public from 11am to 7pm and guests will have the opportunity to take part in Vans customization workshops with the artists and purchase their collections. The space will host pop-ups from other female-led brands including JUSTANIDEA Books, CALLITBYYOURNAME and more, with proceeds going to the organization, En Avant Toute(s). Complimentary nail art by NS Xperience, a custom grillz booth by Dolly Cohen, snacks and drinks corner and workshops by Balbosté, DJ sets and an afternoon of talks hosted by Bisou Bouche will also be part of the celebrations. The event will take place at Le Molière, 40 Rue de Richelieu 75001, Paris and is open to all, with no sign-ups necessary.
Check out the collection below and get to know more about the featured artists. For more Vans releases and updates, follow @NiceKicks on Twitter.
Julia Chiang
Julia Chiang is a multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. Sarah met Julia when she did an exhibition within the Colette gallery in 2012 and has admired her work ever since. Julia often works with paint and ceramics, creating detailed repetitious marks and forms that not only reveal but celebrate imperfection. For her capsule collection, Julia imagined how they would live within the real world – how they would sink into sand, dip into water, and be worn on the streets. Her goal with the four-piece footwear and apparel collection was to share the joy and nostalgia she feels when she thinks of Vans and her creations with theirs. Julia’s collection includes an OG Authentic LX for adults and a matching Authentic for kids which feature her painting atop a washed denim upper. Both pairs include a blue outsole along with a yellow foxing stripe and yellow laces. Her capsule collection is complete with a color blocked bucket hat and a heavy cotton tee that uses an all-over watercolor inspired wash with a gradient screen print of her painting along the bottom hem.
Fumiko Imano
Fumiko Imano is a highly acclaimed artist who Sarah also met through Colette when she sold her self-published photo books. Fumiko’s work includes a body of photomontages and self-portraits that are taken with a 35mm camera which are then cut and pasted to create a twin-like motif. Fumiko utilized her solo exhibition entitled “Somehow Somewhere Sometimes at Some Place for Some Reason” which was on view at Kosaku Kanechika Gallery in 2020 as inspiration for her three-piece capsule collection which includes the OG Sk8-Hi LX and matching Sk8-Hi Reissue for kids. Each panel of the hi-top includes a photoreal print from Imano’s exhibition that when worn together as a pair depicts each twin. This is contrasted by vivid safety yellow canvas uppers along with “Somehow Somewhere Sometimes at Some Place for Some Reason” written in Fumiko’s handwriting across the iconic Sidestripe and ribbon laces. The Fumiko Imano Tee includes three graphics from the same body of work and uses puff ink and embroidery to capture the essence of the juxtaposition of her hand-created work.
Sindiso Khumalo
Sindiso Khumalo is a fashion and textile designer who is based out of Cape Town, South Africa. Sarah met Sindiso in 2020 when she was named a finalist for the LVMH prize. Sindiso founded her eponymous label in 2015 with much of her work centered around creating sustainable clothing with an emphasis on uplifting women of color and telling the story of her African heritage. This same ethos was carried through as part of her Vault by Vans capsule collection. Using her mother who was an activist as inspiration, Sindiso incorporated illustrations on the quarter panels of the OG Style 24 NTC LX for adults and the Classic Slip-On for kids. The illustration shows the artists mother on her daughter’s wedding day seen in traditional Zulu attire. Below it is an array of traditional Zulu homesteads to depict the traditional Zulu life on a modern, contemporary sneaker. This celebration of old and new continues with the Sindiso Khumalo Tee that uses water-based ink to screen print the powerful illustration of the artists mother at the front and at the back neck of the oversized tee.
Soko
French singer-songwriter, musician, and actress Soko has been twice nominated for a César Award and twice nominated for a Lumiere Award for her work in film. Since launching a career as a musician in 2012, she has released three albums and comes into her own as an artist who makes sunny yet intimate and emotional songs. Soko has been on the cover of countless magazines and has also reached the top of Billboard charts. A figure known for her remarkable access to emotion, Soko seeks to investigate the façades and social conditioning that repress emotions. For her Vault by Vans capsule collection, Soko revisits memories of her early childhood with bright, playful illustrations of her cat, Felix, that are seen across the Old Skool V Platform for adults and the Old Skool V for children. The footwear is complemented with a long sleeve tee that features novelty sport inspired jersey graphics and an allover printed explorer-style bucket hat.
