Old Skool's New Future: Skate and Surf's Next Gen Take Over the Classic Vans Silhouette
Vans highlights athletes from the global skate and surf team to reimagine the Vans Old Skool, a signature skate that first debuted in 1977. The result: a quartet of Premium Old Skools that reflect each rider's sense of style.
Two-time Olympic silver medalist Cocona Hiraki chose to honour her Japanese heritage in her design. The 16-year-old skateboarding prodigy included culturally inspired charms—like a fish that resembles the popular taiyaki pastry—on the removable friendship bracelet that adorns her shoe's swivelling Sidestripe. Hiraki's DIY-style Old Skool reflects her passion for drawing and making friendship bracelets to share with fellow skaters when she's on the road.
Karina Rozunko is another artist-athlete using her creativity to stand out, on and off the board. A California-based traditional longboarder, Rozunko brings her vintage-meets-modern aesthetic to the iconic Old Skool, allowing the footwear to feel fresh without straying too far from the Vans silhouette the world knows and loves. The surfer's rendition makes waves with an asymmetrical wrap upper embellished with eye-catching metal hardware.
Tania Cruz of Barcelona takes the Premium Old Skool in a different direction, a leather-clad one, to be precise. Her shoe features rub-away black leather that gives way to a bold red shade with repeated wearings over time. The choice of material wasn't merely aesthetic. Cruz, her crew, and anyone else who rocks this particular Old Skool get a look unique to them, representing every mile and memory they've made in their Vans.
'The Old Skool can be compared to a person who has scars from the past,' Cruz explained in a statement. 'We have to wear them with pride because they make us unique, strong, and different.'
Rounding out the fierce foursome: New York skateboarder and model Efron Danzig. From walking the runway at the city's Fashion Week to tearing up the streets as part of boundary-pushing skate collective Violet, the multi-disciplinary creative makes doing it all look effortless. Adding 'innovative shoe designer' to her curriculum vitae, Danzig pulls from punk culture for her Premium Old Skool revamp. The Vans staple gets a feminine yet edgy flair with the maxed-out combo of corset-inspired lacing and twin silver buckles across the upper.
The Downtown darling cited 'old New York rockers, trashy girls, Marie Antoinette, military, punks, and my friends who make clothes' as her coterie of influences on the heeled, full-grain leather look.
The math is simple: one shoe and four visions add up to infinite possibilities for self-expression. It's only fitting that the athletes defining the futures of their respective sports should forecast the next steps for Vans with the New Future collection. By elevating the Old Skool through each of their perspectives, Hiraki, Rozunko, Cruz, and Danzig remind us that there's no 'right way' to be great. It's what being 'Off the Wall' is all about: forgoing the well-travelled path to tread a new one altogether.
The Old Skool New Future collection will be available starting with Cocona's collection on vans.co.za starting August 14, andwill be made available at select Vans stores across the country.
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Old Skool's New Future: Skate and Surf's Next Gen Take Over the Classic Vans Silhouette
Vans highlights athletes from the global skate and surf team to reimagine the Vans Old Skool, a signature skate that first debuted in 1977. The result: a quartet of Premium Old Skools that reflect each rider's sense of style. Two-time Olympic silver medalist Cocona Hiraki chose to honour her Japanese heritage in her design. The 16-year-old skateboarding prodigy included culturally inspired charms—like a fish that resembles the popular taiyaki pastry—on the removable friendship bracelet that adorns her shoe's swivelling Sidestripe. Hiraki's DIY-style Old Skool reflects her passion for drawing and making friendship bracelets to share with fellow skaters when she's on the road. Karina Rozunko is another artist-athlete using her creativity to stand out, on and off the board. A California-based traditional longboarder, Rozunko brings her vintage-meets-modern aesthetic to the iconic Old Skool, allowing the footwear to feel fresh without straying too far from the Vans silhouette the world knows and loves. The surfer's rendition makes waves with an asymmetrical wrap upper embellished with eye-catching metal hardware. Tania Cruz of Barcelona takes the Premium Old Skool in a different direction, a leather-clad one, to be precise. Her shoe features rub-away black leather that gives way to a bold red shade with repeated wearings over time. The choice of material wasn't merely aesthetic. Cruz, her crew, and anyone else who rocks this particular Old Skool get a look unique to them, representing every mile and memory they've made in their Vans. 'The Old Skool can be compared to a person who has scars from the past,' Cruz explained in a statement. 'We have to wear them with pride because they make us unique, strong, and different.' Rounding out the fierce foursome: New York skateboarder and model Efron Danzig . From walking the runway at the city's Fashion Week to tearing up the streets as part of boundary-pushing skate collective Violet, the multi-disciplinary creative makes doing it all look effortless. Adding 'innovative shoe designer' to her curriculum vitae, Danzig pulls from punk culture for her Premium Old Skool revamp. The Vans staple gets a feminine yet edgy flair with the maxed-out combo of corset-inspired lacing and twin silver buckles across the upper. The Downtown darling cited 'old New York rockers, trashy girls, Marie Antoinette, military, punks, and my friends who make clothes' as her coterie of influences on the heeled, full-grain leather look. The math is simple: one shoe and four visions add up to infinite possibilities for self-expression. It's only fitting that the athletes defining the futures of their respective sports should forecast the next steps for Vans with the New Future collection. By elevating the Old Skool through each of their perspectives, Hiraki, Rozunko, Cruz, and Danzig remind us that there's no 'right way' to be great. It's what being 'Off the Wall' is all about: forgoing the well-travelled path to tread a new one altogether. The Old Skool New Future collection will be available starting with Cocona's collection on starting August 14, andwill be made available at select Vans stores across the country.
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Four Vans team riders bring their own bold twist to the staple silhouette for the New Future campaign. Vans highlights athletes from the global skate and surf team to reimagine the Vans Old Skool, a signature skate that first debuted in 1977. The result: a quartet of Premium Old Skools that reflect each rider's sense of style. Two-time Olympic silver medalist Cocona Hiraki chose to honour her Japanese heritage in her design. The 16-year-old skateboarding prodigy included culturally inspired charms—like a fish that resembles the popular taiyaki pastry—on the removable friendship bracelet that adorns her shoe's swivelling Sidestripe. Hiraki's DIY-style Old Skool reflects her passion for drawing and making friendship bracelets to share with fellow skaters when she's on the road. Karina Rozunko is another artist-athlete using her creativity to stand out, on and off the board. A California-based traditional longboarder, Rozunko brings her vintage-meets-modern aesthetic to the iconic Old Skool, allowing the footwear to feel fresh without straying too far from the Vans silhouette the world knows and loves. The surfer's rendition makes waves with an asymmetrical wrap upper embellished with eye-catching metal hardware. Tania Cruz of Barcelona takes the Premium Old Skool in a different direction, a leather-clad one, to be precise. Her shoe features rub-away black leather that gives way to a bold red shade with repeated wearings over time. The choice of material wasn't merely aesthetic. Cruz, her crew, and anyone else who rocks this particular Old Skool get a look unique to them, representing every mile and memory they've made in their Vans. 'The Old Skool can be compared to a person who has scars from the past,' Cruz explained in a statement. 'We have to wear them with pride because they make us unique, strong, and different.' Rounding out the fierce foursome: New York skateboarder and model Efron Danzig. From walking the runway at the city's Fashion Week to tearing up the streets as part of boundary-pushing skate collective Violet, the multi-disciplinary creative makes doing it all look effortless. Adding 'innovative shoe designer' to her curriculum vitae, Danzig pulls from punk culture for her Premium Old Skool revamp. The Vans staple gets a feminine yet edgy flair with the maxed-out combo of corset-inspired lacing and twin silver buckles across the upper. The Downtown darling cited 'old New York rockers, trashy girls, Marie Antoinette, military, punks, and my friends who make clothes' as her coterie of influences on the heeled, full-grain leather look. The math is simple: one shoe and four visions add up to infinite possibilities for self-expression. It's only fitting that the athletes defining the futures of their respective sports should forecast the next steps for Vans with the New Future collection. By elevating the Old Skool through each of their perspectives, Hiraki, Rozunko, Cruz, and Danzig remind us that there's no 'right way' to be great. It's what being 'Off the Wall' is all about: forgoing the well-travelled path to tread a new one altogether. The Old Skool New Future collection will be available starting with Cocona's collection on starting August 14, andwill be made available at select Vans stores across the country.
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Sindiso Khumalo opens flagship store in Cape Town, celebrating African creativity
Designer Sindiso Khumalo opens her first flagship store in Cape Town. Image: Supplied Cape Town has a new fashion landmark as internationally celebrated designer Sindiso Khumalo opens her first flagship store, marking a major career milestone and a meaningful return to her roots. Khumalo, known for her hand-illustrated prints, carefully considered silhouettes, and unwavering commitment to sustainability, has spent the past decade carving out a respected global presence. A finalist for the prestigious LVMH Prize, her work has graced runways at Milan Fashion Week and appeared in collaborations with & Other Stories, IKEA and Vans. Now, with the launch of her flagship store, she brings her journey full circle. 'Opening the store in Cape Town just made sense. It's where my family is, where my home is,' says Khumalo. Sindiso Khumalo opens her first flagship store in Cape Town. Image: Supplied Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The designer launched her namesake label in 2014 after completing her Master's in Textile Futures at Central Saint Martins. Following a short break to raise her young children, she relaunched in 2018 and has since built a loyal following drawn to her slow, intentional approach to fashion. From the start, Khumalo has championed African textile traditions and sustainability. Her collections make use of natural fabrics like African-grown cotton, hemp and linen, while also creating opportunities for women artisans in Cape Town, Jaipur and Burkina Faso. Techniques such as hand embroidery, hand-block printing and crochet form the backbone of her work. These practices are equally reflected in her new retail space. Techniques such as hand embroidery, hand-block printing and crochet form the backbone of her work. Image: Supplied The flagship, located in the lively Longkloof precinct, is a celebration of South African creativity. Inside, the store showcases design pieces from ARRANGE Studio, Dokter and Misses, and Wunders, alongside artwork by Marsi van de Heuvel. A blush velvet curtain, pink-painted piping and a striking fire-engine red railing bring warmth and personality to the industrial bones of the space. 'I really wanted the space to tell a story of South African art and design,' Khumalo explains. 'It really feels like me. We took a lot of care into curating the space to reflect the story of the brand and to bring that story to life in a physical form. Everything you see in the store, the colours, the textures, the energy, is part of the world we've built with the brand.' Even the materials echo the label's ethos. Surplus tiles and a repurposed sofa by Heath Nash continue the brand's commitment to sustainability and circular design. 'I wanted every aspect of the space to be reflective of the work we do at SindisoKhumalo. We've always worked with waste in a way that reimagines it as something beautiful, and I wanted that to be part of the store too.' At the heart of the shop floor is In Full Bloom, Khumalo's latest collection. At the heart of the shop floor is In Full Bloom, Khumalo's latest collection. Image: Supplied Inspired by the women in her life and the sisterhoods that shape her, the collection blends Cape Town-made embroidery with Jaipur's hand-block prints, fusing South African and Indian craft traditions. The pieces are alive with colour, including turmeric, rose and sage, which echo the vibrant souks, spices and tapestries of Marrakech. Alongside her signature bold prints and 60s-inspired silhouettes, the collection introduces more accessible items like T-shirts and collar accessories. 'I've always thought of clothing as a kind of good luck charm,' she says. 'I want our garments to bring joy and feel like little talismans that move with you through your life.' For Khumalo, the flagship is not just a shop, but a space for connection. 'We really wanted to create something that felt warm and welcoming, where people could come in, discover the brand, and feel like they're stepping into a story. I hope they feel at home,' she shares. Looking ahead, the designer hints at more growth and exciting ventures. 'There's a lot ahead for the future of Sindiso Khumalo, and the retail space is just the beginning of this journey.' IOL Lifestyle Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
