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Vans and MoMA’s special-edition launch is literally a work of art

WORDS BY EMMA ANVARI

The shoe is your canvas.

Following its successful September launch, Vans is back again with the second instalment of its wearable art in collaboration with the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

Inspired by and featuring the iconic works of the world’s greatest artists, the second drop includes works from Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock, Russian avant-garde painter Lybov Popova and mixed-media artist Faith Ringgold. The new line of footwear and apparel will be available for purchase worldwide on November 11. 

This release builds on the first collection which was inspired by the art showcased within the museum and featured the works of Salvador Dali, Kandinsky and Monet on a range of footwear. 

This initial launch also saw the release of two MoMA-branded sneakers in both the ComfyCush Old Skool and Era models.

Vans Head of Global Footwear Design for Lifestyle Footwear, Angie Dita, says this second instalment is focused on accurately translating the art into its attire form.  

“Our collaboration with MoMA is a true partnership that involved working together to select both the works and footwear to ensure an authentic connection between the art and the canvas footwear models we chose,” she said in a press release. 

Angie also noted the close partnership with Faith Ringgold, the only living artist featured in this release, to uplift her feminist poster art.

“[She] worked closely with both the Vans design and MoMA teams to story-tell through the details, bringing in quilted borders to contextualise her work atop Vans,” Angie said.

Ringgold is an acclaimed artist, writer, educator and activist, whose work highlights her experiences with racism and social injustice. The apparel and footwear featuring her work includes the strong words from her posters Freedom Woman Now 1971 and Woman Free Yourself 1971

The Edvard Munch sneakers and apparel capture the angst and perpetuity of his best-known work, The Scream 1895, with its repeat pattern on each of the canvas panels of the Vans Era. 

A pioneer of the action-painting style of flinging and pouring paint, Jackson Pollock’s work in One: Number 21, 1950 is featured in a top-to-bottom application on the Vans Authentic. 

In yet another entirely different style, Lybov Popova’s construction-like and dimensional approach to painting is depicted on the Vans Sk8-Hi. Her work is featured using each medial and lateral side of the shoe to convey her avant-garde vision as seen in Untitled, 1917. 

Shoes aren’t for you? Well, this collection features more than just footwear with backpacks, tees, hoodies, bucket hats and more being released alongside the footwear designs.

All products can be accessed via the Vans website from November 11.

vans.com.au
moma.org

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