Just in time for summer, Vans and acclaimed Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami have unveiled a limited edition collection under Van’s premium label Vault by Vans titled The Vault by Vans x Takashi Murakami.
Celebrated for his vibrant paintings, as well as his immaculate sculptures and designs, Murakami makes his favorite Vans silhouette, the Classic Slip-On – which happens to be the shoe he wears in his studio every day – the focus of his next project.
In addition to footwear, the Vault by Vans x Takashi Murakami collaboration brings forth an artistic assortment of apparel and skate decks for release in late June.
Murakami’s anime-influenced aesthetic is renowned for its incorporation of lively colors, shapes and imagery inspired by traditional Japanese art and pop culture.
Now generally recognized as a “Superflat” form, a term he himself coined, his work is known for blurring the line between high and low arts. For fall 2015, two of Murakami’s recurring motifs – the smiling flower and skull patterns – are brought to life in a limited edition selection of Slip-Ons, skateboard decks and tees.
For his collaborative footwear capsule, Murakami presents the Classic Slip-On, in six adult-unisex colorways alongside a trio of toddler-sized offerings.
The first half of the adult assortment showcases the smiling flower print in blue, multi-colored and silver line variations while the second half highlights the allover skull arrangement in a darker blue, yellow and gold line color-ups.
Murakami’s own dog, Pom, makes a cameo on the footbed of each Slip-On as she sits atop the Vans skateboard logo. The toddler-sized shoes from the collection are stylized in a more subdued set of color-ups that feature single image prints Murakami’s flower, skull and Pom on each toe vamp.
The Vault by Vans x Takashi Murakami collaboration rounds out with three graphic styles of shirts and skate decks. The tees highlight the smiling flower in a multicolored collage, the skull stamp in an allover silver outline and Murakami himself on a blue background.
The skateboard decks feature the same patterns on their undersides while Pom makes an additional cameo on the wood-finished topside of each deck.
Vans is honored and excited to release the Vault by Vans x Takashi Murakami collection globally on June 27, 2015.
Visit www.vans.com/murakami for more information and join the conversation using the#VansxMurakami hashtag on social networks.
Get a closer look at this special project on the Vans YouTube Channel and watch the animated trailer dedicated to the collaboration.