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Vans and MoMA Join Forces For an Artistic Collection of Shoes and Apparel

By Jessica Stewart on September 17, 2020

Vans has had great success with its artistic collaborations, whether it's pairing with the Van Gogh Museum or creating a capsule collection of Frida Kahlo footwear. Now, they're continuing that collaboration by joining forces with New York's MoMA for the Vans X MoMA two-part series. Starting in late September, special edition shoes and clothing inspired by great modern artists will be released to the public.

The artists featured—which includes Salvador Dalí, Vasily Kandinsky, Claude Monet, Edvard Munch, Jackson Pollock, Lybov Popova, and Faith Ringgold—reflects the diversity of MoMA's collection. In addition, the collection also includes a colorful interpretation of Vans' classic checkerboard in order to align with MoMA's brand identity. And there is a kids collection focused on interaction that will allow children to customize their shoes.

The first launch features the art of Dalí, Kandinsky, and Monet splashed across shoes, T-shirts, hats, and backpacks. Art lovers will find the artist's work expertly framed onto Vans' ComfyCush Old Skool and Era silhouettes.

Dalí's iconic The Persistence of Memory 1931 will grace the sides of the Vans Old Skool Twist. In keeping with the artist's warped perception of reality, the shoes feature a distorted foxing stripe. A long sleeve T-shirt and sweatshirt round out the Dalí experience.

Kandinsky's abstract Orange 1923 is featured on Vans’ Classic Slip-On shoes. The print, which was made while he was teaching at the Bauhaus school, makes a powerful impression. His use of form and color work incredibly well on the shoes, as well as the short-sleeve tee, crewneck, and snapback hat that form his collection.

Lastly, Vans plunges into Impressionism with a work by the masterful Monet. A painting from his beloved Water Lilies series is the perfect ending to this initial release. The gentle colors of nature wash over the footwear and apparel, which includes Vans’ Authentic along with a hat, fleece, and backpack style.

These initial offerings will be available on September 30, 2020 online, at Vans stores, MoMA Design Store locations, MoMA's online store, and select Vans retailers. The second wave of items is set for a November release and you can sign up to be informed of when the collection will drop.