Skater's Paradise

March 09, 2023

Jupiter Florida is an outdoor paradise, especially for thrill-seekers like Zion Wright who grew up skating and surfing. The unique community in Jupiter allowed Zion to flourish in his creativity and enjoy the sense of freedom that skating gave him. With no fear of falling, Zion was eager to skate and embrace all the set backs that came with it. His positive spirit and risktaking mindset blend perfectly with Vans into the creation of Vans Zahba by Zion Wright.

Vans curated a unique shoe optimal for skaters, especially all-terrain drifters like Zion. Drawing from the comforting details of his hometown, Vans include muted earth tones to reflect the charming beach town. In addition a stitching of the area code there is also an embroidery of planet Jupiter invoking the town and all together, making a truly original shoe.

The perfect sneaker does exist and it's one that provides impact protection while still looking cool and being good for the enviroment.

Text by Bella Becker
Photos courtesy of Vans

The Vans Zahba by Zion Wright will be available everywhere on March 16th at select Vans retail locations and online. Check out the collaboration below.

To celebrate the Vans Zahba by Zion Wright, Vans will host a Launch Party at Skate Space 198 on March 16. To RSVP, sign up here.

Fashion

Strength and Vulnerability at Kiko Kostadinov

March 06, 2024

For their FW24 collection, Kiko Kostadinov is all about balance and dichotomy. Showing in Paris, twin sisters and designers Laura and Deanna Fanning play with hard and soft. Regarding their conception of “The Kiko Kostadinov woman,” this collection is meant to exist at the “tipping point of her strength and vulnerability.”

Some looks featured pastels and draped sheer fabrics, others featured stiff, armored silhouettes and earth tones. There’s something that feels vaguely geometric about this season’s work — from graphic distortion to fabric sculpting and anatomical augmentation, the entire collection is a game of the eye. But that doesn’t mean the pieces aren’t wearable. A three-piece denim suit comes out of a collaboration with Levi’s and the debut of the carry-all Mezulari bag is a stylish take on the utilitarian messenger. Kiko Kostadinov sums their work up best: “A variety of desires play out; intact or wounded, tender or aggressive serving as distinct markers of vulnerability within us.”

By Izzy Capulong
Photography by Boris Halas

Check out the looks below

Fashion

Sterling Ruby and OTW by Vans' Night Out in LA

Earlier this week, Ruby’s S.R. STUDIO. LA. CA. and OTW by Vans launched their first ever collaboration, an all-new style, titled ‘Clash the Wall’. A mash-up of the Old Skool 36, the Authentic, the Mid-Skool 77, and the Sk8-Hi silhouettes, the sneaker comes in monochromatic neon green or orange, paying homage to two of Ruby’s landmark artworks.

Photography by Jack Bool

To celebrate the release, OTW and Ruby took to Downtown Los Angeles with a 160 ft long and 30 ft tall skate-able installation designed by PLAYLAB, INC. A recreation of the steep incline hills made famous by San Francisco skateboarding, the temporary monument set the stage for a night of musical performances by SALEM and Paris Texas, a DJ set by Ty, and live skating by Vans athletes like Issue 20 cover star Efron Danzig, Curren Caples, Elijah Berle, Nick Michel, Roman Pabich, Rowan Zorilla, and Zion Wright. Guests included Atiba Jefferson, Sky Ferreira, Landon Barker, Alex “2Tone”, and Charles Melton, to mention a few, making for a zany night in LA.

I loved skating, I still do. Everything about it represents freedom to me.

The collaboration is available in limited quantities at select stockists worldwide and at otw.vans.com. Fans can anticipate a second drop arriving before the end of 2024, and more releases to follow in the coming years.