House of Vans at the Mohawk Returns to the SXSW Music Festival as Vans Honors 50 Years of “Off The Wall”

Mar 8 16 under Bands, Events | Comments Off

Week-long Programming includes Vans Anniversary Discussion Panel and Music Showcase featuring Erykah Badu, Neon Indian, Kelela, White Lung and More!

Kicking off March 16, Vans returns to the SXSW Music Festival for a week-long pop up edition of its cultural hub, House of Vans, at Austin’s historical live music venue, the Mohawk. The House of Vans returns for the fourth year and honors Vans’ 50-year legacy of creative expression across action sports, art, music and street culture. To ring in the celebration, House Vans at the Mohawk calls upon Texas local and genre defying icon, Erykah Badu, for a special live performance exclusive to House of Vans. A wide array of musical genius including Neon Indian, Kelela, White Lung, Quinn, Kevin Morby, James Supercave, Hinds, Domo Genesis, Downtown Boys and Sheer Mag are set to take the stage for a celebration of a lifetime. House of Vans at the Mohawk parties will feature an eclectic lineup of “Off The Wall” talent. Programming partners include Cliché, Hypetrak, The Windish Agency, Middle West Management, Fun Fun Fun Fest and Cinematic Music Group.

For the first time, Vans curates a discussion panel with SXSW on March 17 at 3:30pm UTC at the Austin Convention Center. Over the last 50 years, Vans has managed to remain relevant thanks to its authenticity; never straying from its “Off The Wall” motto. With authenticity being an omnipresent topic across the evolution of all things artistic, Vans VP and General Manager of North America, Doug Palladini, will moderate a discussion on authenticity and growth with seasoned industry veterans to celebrate Vans’ heritage. Vans is excited to welcome guest panelists Walter Schreifels of Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today, Nate Mendel of the Foo Fighters and Sunny Day Real Estate, and Mish Way of White Lung.

On March 16, Vans’ legacy will be brought to life in 10 cities across the globe to honor 50 years of “Off The Wall” heritage alongside the extended Vans family that have made the brand what it is today. From New York to London to Hong Kong, the worldwide celebration of creative expression will welcome a mix of eclectic performers including Nas, Dinosaur Jr., Wu-Tang Clan, The Kills, Jamie xx, Dizzee Rascal, Yeasayer, Shlohmo in addition the Vans SXSW Music Showcase.

The kick off anniversary events are the beginning of the global expansion of House of Vans, which further cements Vans’ dedication to fostering creative expression. Throughout 2016, Vans will host a variety of activations including skateboarding demos, music events, interactive design workshops and art installations, all to continue to encourage the creative communities that have supported Vans for the past 50 years. As the cultural hub for Vans, House of Vans seeks to inspire and connect with everyone who enters the space. With two permanent locations, one in New York and the second in London, Vans will introduce pop up House of Vans experiences to more locations around the globe creating spaces where Vans enthusiasts around the world can interact with the brand one-on-one.

Entire week schedule pocket-guide available after the jump Read More

Vans Announces House of Vans Expansion and Hosts Worldwide Celebrations Culminating 50 Years of “Off The Wall”

Mar 1 16 under Events, Heritage, History | 1 Comment

On March 16, 2016, Vans brings together 50 years of “Off The Wall” heritage in action sports, art, music and street culture for a worldwide celebration of creative expression at the House of Vans. Vans’ legacy will be brought to life in ten cities across the globe to celebrate its 50^th anniversary alongside the extended Vans family that have made the brand what it is today. From New York to London to Hong Kong, Vans is thrilled to welcome a mix of eclectic performers including Nas, Dinosaur Jr., Wu-Tang Clan, The Kills, Erykah Badu, Jamie xx, Dizzee Rascal, Yeasayer, Shlohmo and more, within an immersive brand environment specially created for Vans’ anniversary year. Additionally, guests at every location will be welcomed to participate in a range of workshops for a hands-on experience that is truly Vans.

Read more about the event and see more pics after the jump Read More

UTP x The Laced Locked and Loaded Super Show (Event Recap) @lacedlockedandloaded #lacedlockedandloaded

Jan 26 16 under Collaborations, Events, Friends, OTWS, UTP | Comments Off

This past Sunday, we linked up with the homies at Frank & Sons for their inaugural Laced, Locked, and Loaded Super Show. If you aren’t from the SoCal area, or you aren’t a comic book, sports memorabilia, or toy nerd, then you probably don’t know what Frank & Sons is. Basically, it’s the OG Triple OG place to go for all things just mentioned. They’ve been around longer than San Diego Comic Con, and this was, and still is the place to go, to get your fix on all things collectible, and yes even sneakers! Open every Tuesday and Saturday! Our friend Pablo runs a booth at this show, and he, along with Frankie Z of Frank & Sons, and their team, organized one of the biggest, and best shows we’ve seen, since the Dunkxchange days. Keep in mind, this was a grassroots effort, and the local shops, and sneaker community came out and supported them to the fullest. I was just stoked to see someone local from my same home town area do something like this, and it was a no-brainer to be a part of it. L.A. came to the SGV/IE for this! The show was huge, and there was a ton of heat on display. I knew that if I was going to join in on this, then I would have to bring out some of the best Vans to ever release. Plus, I was representing for the Vans community that couldn’t be there. I took quite a bit of pictures, mostly of our table, which is probably what y’all wanted to see anyways, right? A special thanks goes out to my Tintin, and to the homie Dean for helping me out all day. Thanks to Pablo and Frankie for the hospitality and keeping things running smoothly for everyone, and oh yeah, thanks to everyone who’s already commented on a few pics on Strictly Waffles FB group, and here’s the rest that I took. Enjoy!

pics after the jump

Vans x Jon & Vinny’s – Release Party Recap (1.21.16)

Jan 22 16 under Collaborations, Events | Comments Off

Staying out late on a Thursday night, especially in the mid-city of Los Angeles is pretty tough for a working guy like me, but when you get an invite from Vans to attend a private event that includes food, alcohol, exclusive access to a new shoe, and did I mention food? Well, then you bet your ass I’ll make an effort to attend. Tintin and I had arrived a little late, and were almost denied access due to the restaurant already reaching max capacity, but we somehow managed to convince the door guy to let us in, since we were the only two people standing outside on the sidewalk of Fairfax. Once inside, we were met with a lively crowd, energized by the soulful funk music that was playing in the background. You instantly get hit with the awesome smell of Italian dishes being cooked up right in front of the counter. Wood-fired pizzas, hand-made pastas, and other delicious items were being handed out by waiters everywhere you looked. There were a few notable celebrities in the house as well, as to which I only recognized Jimmy Kimmel, but Tintin could name all of the others from shows that she currently watches. I’m not sure if they were here for the event, or if they were just here to eat, but you know the food is good if guys like Jimmy Kimmel vouch for it. He created the Feast of San Gennaro! He has a Lawry’s Primerib rolling cart! I digress. So we head out to the back of the restaurant, where they have a nice outdoor venue set up, with a tent, an open bar, shoes on display, and Ray Barbee playing some great instrumental tunes for the crowd! What could be better? I ran into all the Vans friends that I’ve met over the years, and made some new ones as well. We enjoyed bombarding the waiters, sampling everything that rolled out of the kitchen. The chocolate filled donuts, peppermint meringue *thingies*, and chocolate cookies were all a nice follow-up to the pizzas and pastas. All in all it was an amazing night, and although the event was about the shoes, the food stole the spotlight and our hats go off to Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo for their awesome achievement. Their crew looked stoked to have their very own Vans shoe, and everyone wore it with pride. Thanks again Vans for letting us take part in this as well.

tons of event pics after the jump Read More

Hypebeast Presents: Vans Syndicate Celebrates its 10 Years With Family and Friends (Video) #TheseDays #VansSyndicate #KnownGallery #Hypebeast

Dec 23 15 under Collaborations, Events, Friends, Heritage, History, Syndicate, Videos | Comments Off

Words via Hypebeast:

“Vans Syndicate celebrated its 10-year anniversary last month, and in celebration of this significant milestone, the brand hosted a retrospective installation at Los Angeles’ Known Gallery. Take a look inside the event which features artwork, limited edition collectibles, special collaborative projects and much more — all to commemorate a decade in existence. The installation is entitled These Days: Ten Years of Vans Syndicate and many of the most notable Vans’ family and friends were there for the opening, including Shawn Stussy, Jason Dill, Tetsu Mishiyama and of course, Rian Pozzebon, Vans’ head of design and founding designer of Vans Syndicate.”

The Consortium Co-Lab Presents: East Los Musubi (Sunday Dec. 13th from 12-5 PM)

Dec 4 15 under Collaborations, Events, UTP | Comments Off

This just in! @eastlosmusubi will be joining us at our next @consortiumcolab, serving up their awesome Spam musubis, plates, and sliders, and selling some of their dope merchandise! There’s still time to reserve a table. Contact us by email, or phone. See you all at the @footageairspace on Sunday Dec. 13th, from 12-5 PM! 580 W Lambert Rd. Suite H Brea, CA 92821

The Consortium Co-Lab Presents: Woodman (Sunday Dec. 13th from 12-5 PM)

Dec 3 15 under Collaborations, Events, UTP | Comments Off

We’re proud to announce that Woodman (@wdmnco) will be back for our next @consortiumcolab. Their display was really nice, showcasing their tees and accessories. We look forward to having them return to the @footageairspace on Sunday Dec. 13th, from 12-5 PM! 580 W Lambert Rd. Suite H Brea, CA 92821

Event Recap: These Days – 10 Years of Vans Syndicate (A Retrospective) #vanssyndicate #thesedays

Nov 23 15 under Collaborations, Events, Heritage, History, Syndicate | Comments Off

It’s Friday. The event we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. At the beginning of the week, I had asked the boss if I could get off work early so that I could go to another one of my sneaker-related events. He knows I have this weird obsession with buying sneakers, and he knows I have a lot of them. That’s about as far as I get with him, before I lose his attention to some other matter of business. I’m sure this relates to many of you with your family members, friends, and co-workers. They don’t get it, and quite honestly they could probably care less. “WE GET IT. YOU LIKE SHOES. DO YOU HAVE THOSE KANYE WEST ONES?”

Well, this sneaker-related event wasn’t just any old sneaker event. In fact, it was probably the most prolific sneaker-related event I could’ve ever attended in all the years of me being into this hobby. The reason is because… Read More

Vans Syndicate Presents: These Days – 10 Years of Vans Syndicate (Friday 11.20.15)

Nov 11 15 under Collaborations, Events, Heritage, History, Syndicate | Comments Off

We never really imagined this day coming, but as we all know all good things must come to an end at some time or another. As so, is our beloved Vans Syndicate brand, and they’ve created a special event to celebrate the ten years of Vans Syndicate, an exhibition being put on at the Known Gallery on Fairfax. Word is, that the complete Vans Syndicate catalog will be on display, from series 001-030. We’ve been cordially invited to pass this invite on to all of our fellow Vans fanatics, collectors, enthusiasts, and friends, to share in this joyous occasion. Syndicate is going out with a bang, and we hope to see each and every one of our core group members at this event, representing and sending the “S” off in style.

(I just want to mention that without Vans Syndicate, there is no way that our Vans sneaker community would have grown to the size that it is today. From the early days, Syndicates were introduced to the same core skate shops where Nike SB was being sold, which we can agree launched the whole sneaker collecting culture into what it has become today. Right out of the gate, Syndicate was introducing us to collaborations with artists and brands some of us have never heard of, but knew were special just purely on their level of quality. Sturdy drawer boxes, dust bags, briefing envelopes explaining the design and story, and random accessories were all standard issue. Sneakerheads were aware, even if they weren’t brave enough to step outside of that “narrow path” just yet.

We also need to give credit to those skate shops that really embraced Vans Syndicate, and truly understood the value and importance of it. I can’t think of any other shop, than our good friend Brant Van Boening’s Silo, who have dedicated a lot of time and energy into making sure every single Vans Syndicate release got it’s proper shine in the spotlight. He sought out our Vans collector community when we were still quite small, and didn’t represent much buying power to skate shops, and he made sure that we would always be taken care of, and that we would understand fully, each Syndicate release. There’s your real advocate. It’s insane and quite insulting to still see that he hasn’t had his very own Vans Syndicate collaboration. Stop fucking around Vans and give this guy what he deserves! He’ll never ask for it, himself).

*Stepping off soap box now*

Blends Santa Ana Presents Vans Syndicate x Max Schaaf Mtn. Edition 4Q “S” Launch Party (10.25.15 @blendssa)

Oct 22 15 under Collaborations, Events, Syndicate | Comments Off

via Blends:
BLENDS PRESENTS VANS SYNDICATE X MAX SCHAAF MOUNTAIN EDITION 4Q “S” LAUNCH PARTY

Join us Saturday (10.24.15) and hangout with Pro-Skater and Motorcycle Builder/Enthusiast Max Schaaf as we celebrate the launch of his new shoe with Vans Syndicate, the Mountain Edition 4Q “S”

For the launch our Blends Santa Ana location will be hosting an event to promote the new shoe.
Event details:
Blends Santa Ana
200 E. 4th Street Santa Ana, California 92701

Time:
6PM to 10PM

Special thanks to Sapporo Premium Beer for providing us with refreshments.
Come through!