Vans Classics will be releasing a special four-piece capsule collection for the coming Chinese New Year, the Classic & Year of the Horse Collection, launching in countries across Asia Pacific in December and January. Supporting the launch will be a nationwide creative campaign presenting artistic works of over 15 different Chinese creative personalities, all working with the Year of the Horse shoe and the meaning behind the collection. The Classic and Year of the Horse Collection will be releasing nationwide in China on December 20th, and exclusive black version hitting select accounts on January 1st, 2014.
Since 1966, Vans has grounded itself in supporting and elevating creative self-expression, whether from an action sports perspective or from a music, art, or street culture background. With the Year of the Horse Collection, Vans Classics is collaborating with a fresh group of creative personalities, representing a new landscape of Chinese creativity. From street fashion backgrounds, to illustration and music, Vans is working with creative people such as stylists Zhang Jiayi and Cherry Gun out of Beijing, shoe designer Kim Kiroic in Shanghai and hip hop artist Kafe He out of Chengdu. All artists involved in the campaign are working around the ideas of following one’s path, unrestrained expression, and freedom; character traits of the Horse according to Chinese zodiac. These artists were tasked to build around the shoe and their own thoughts on the coming New Year, and present a creative project for Classic & Year of the Horse.
Vans will be presenting a special collaborative project with partners Vice and Lens Magazine for the Year of the Horse Collection. Epic storyteller’s and street culture connoisseurs, Vice hit the road with Vans skate team rider Zhang Ziyang to find his hometown roots of Yili, in Northern Xinjiang Province, where they experienced some truly wild terrain. And for Lens Magazine, Vans hooked up with Beijing-based art collective Ketchup, who literally froze their shoes in blocks of ice for and installation piece. As well, Vans connected with up and coming fashion photographer Fan Xin, who was given absolute creative freedom to produce a photo project around the Year of Horse shoe. All creative pieces developed around the Year of the Horse shoe will be launching on the Vans Weibo page on December 12th, 2013.
Calling out the original Sk8-Hi silhouette with iconic Sidestripe branding, the Year of the Horse Collection is presented in a solid color spectrum of Red, Blue, and Pink, in both men’s and women’s sizes. As well, Vans will be releasing a limited Black colorway of the Year of the Horse shoe, available at select retailers. Speaking to a contemporary western cowboy style, the Sk8-Hi capsule comes adorned with faux horse hair, leather heel counter and horseshoe print on the waffle sole.
The Classic & Year of the Horse Collection will be launching at all Vans Asia Pacific retail locations and Vans TMall on December 20th, and exclusive black color offering through Yohobuy.com, NPC and begins on January 1st, at the retail price of 695 RMB. For a complete list of Vans retail locations, log onto the vans.com.cn.
