Vans—the SoCal purveyor of all things street-and-skate—is set to introduce a new trick in its proverbial park. Best known for it’s impossibly cool sneakers, the brand is relaunching its full-fledged women’s ready-to-wear line for Spring ’14, which debuts tonight in New York City.
“Our original inspiration was that we wanted to walk away from theme and item-driven pieces—we wanted to do a wholly realized collection,” said head women’s designer Nadia Barienbrock. “Our thinking was alive, wild, and free.” It’s a fitting trio of descriptors, as Barienbrock’s offering blends animal, paisley, geometric, camo, floral, and skull prints with an almost grown-up sense of casualness. This mix is most evident in the easy cutout dresses, smart chiffon oxford shirts, and loose-knit jumpers that feature potassium-induced fading. But Vans’ West Coast grunge isn’t sacrificed—ripped muscle tees, pastel plaid cutoffs, and an eye-catching jean jacket, screened at the collar with an American flag motif, are also worked in. The diverse range should serve Vans well, as the company is pushing for a more global presence, catering to a kind of California-everywhere mentality.
This evening marks Vans’ very first presentation in Manhattan. To celebrate the milestone, they tapped Chrissie Miller to direct a short film featuring a hypercool quintet from It girl-dom: Langley Fox Hemingway (Dree’s little sis), Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Coco Young, Georgia Ford, and Luz Pavon. Styled by Heidi Bivens, the video—with an accompanying runway show—will also premiere this evening along with the clothes. Ahead of the presentation, take a sneak peek at the new collection here, exclusively on Style.com.
—Nick Remsen
Photo: Courtesy of Vans
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