Vans, the action-sports footwear and apparel brand, has announced its creative partnership with alt-R&B star SZA.
As part of the multi-year partnership, the “Shirt” singer will serve as the company’s artistic director to reimagine future campaigns and co-create product collections.
The company shared in a press statement, “SZA is a revolutionary artist shaping the emotional tone of a generation. Through her genre-defying sound, she brings authenticity to the forefront, creating space for both softness and powerful expression. She challenges fashion norms and cultural expectations that empower youth to own their story. In her, we see the essence of Off the Wall, an artist who leads with creative intention and self-acceptance, while encouraging others to do the same.”
Wasting no time to get started, Vans and SZA’s debut campaign spotlights her favorite footwear styles, the Knu Skool in black and white. Under SZA’s artistic direction, the campaign was directed and photographed by Sophie Jones and styled by Alejandra Hernandez. The visualizer for the campaign, which can be watched below, also features an unreleased SZA track.
“In Vans, I feel free,” said SZA. “I’ve been wearing Knu Skools and other styles for years, they’ve always had an ethos I connect with. As Artistic Director, my mission is to show that joy, community, creativity, and fashion are all still intersectional. That humanity, culture, and connection are still the access points.”
She added, “I’ve learned that bravery and curiosity are the cures for uncertainty, it’s a lifestyle and Vans champions that spirit. They stand where I stand, and I’m honored to invite a whole bunch of people to stand Off the Wall with us.”
The Vans Knu Skool was originally designed in 1997 as a reimagining of the classic Old Skool for a new generation in the late ’90s. The shoe, priced at $80, is available at Vans retail locations and vans.com.
SZA’s new partnership with Vans comes on the heels of co-headlining the Grand National Tour with Kendrick Lamar. The longtime collaborators spent the spring and most of the summer performing across North America and Europe/U.K. (Lamar will embark on a solo run this fall in Latin America and Australia.)
This week, SZA made Billboard history with her 2022 sophomore album, SOS, becoming the first album by a female artist to reside in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for 100 weeks. The 8x platinum-selling album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, where it spent 10 nonconesecutive weeks atop the chart. Earlier this year, the album reached the same milestone on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart.
In December 2024, she expanded the 23-track album with her SOS Deluxe: LANA, which featured 19 additional songs, including the Lamar-assisted “30 For 30.”
Aside from music, SZA made her acting debut in the comedy film One of Them Days, opposite Keke Palmer, which reached No. 1 at the box office in January.
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