Vans- shoe of choice

If you are a young man interested in skateboarding, BMX and the street culture having Vans is something that really put you on a map. Those classical shoes are so popular since 1966 when the two brothers (Paul and James Van Doren) and their three partners opened up their first store in sunny California.

They were the first who introduced both manufacturing and selling shoes on their own. Their most recognizable models were those with rugged make-up and sticky sole. Thanks to this phenomenal hit, the company begins to grow and also produce wool lined canvas and rubber mukluks. Above all, the best-selling were Vans #95 designed by Tony Alva (an American skateboarder) and Stacy Peralta (an American surfer). They were destined to skateboarders thanks to their non slip bottom that allow the skaters to grip better.

In 1966 there was made another hit model  #44.The brand evolves and by the end of 1970’s Vans had around 70 stores in California. Driven to success, Vans decided to produce shoes for a number of other sports such as: motor cross or wakeboarding. As it turns out, it wasn’t the best fit for the owners because it totally drained the company’s resources. Finally, the company went bankrupt in 1983.

However, three years later, some others’ companies gave Vans a helping hand and bought the rights with the promise to get the business going. Right now, Vans is prospering well and to prove it in 2000 and 2001 Forbes recognized the company as one of “America’s Best Small Companies”.  Following the success and being eager to keep the business afloat, in 2001 Vans (on its www addressee) launched the possibility to design your own shoes by using many different colors and patterns.
Also, the company collaborates with very talented designers namely: Luella Bartley or Rebecca Tylor.

Here a few pics!

Alexander Wang

One time, an American politician- Jimmy Carter says: “We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.” And to finish this quote one can say… “but all of those are to fulfill one goal- the American Dream”.

There is no doubt that America is a multicultural country and people who live there have (apart from the indigenous inhabitants) different ancestors, sometimes from Africa, sometimes from  Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and sometimes even from the far east, I mean China or Japan. It is easily visible that those people grow in power and contribute to the fact that the U.S has many different faces. This is why the modernity mingles with the tradition, haute couture with street style or sport with elegance. Each ethnic minority gives something from its national traditions and all of them create one coherent whole. Thanks to it, eyes from all over the world are fixed upon America.

As far as the world of fashion is concerned, right now, the most outstanding and at the same time influential are the Americans of Chinese origins. It is even more clear when one takes a closer look at The Parsons New School for Design. 40 % of all students are Asians who either were born in the U.S or came there in order to purchase their dreams.

At the moment, I think that they are those talented young Asians’ designers who get the  business going and above all, my favorite one  is Alexander Wang. In my view, he has taken the fashion industry by storm and greatly finds himself in it.

To cut a long story short, he was born and raised in San Francisco but being at the age of eighteen he moved to NYC to try his hand at designing clothes. Wang was a student of aforementioned The Parsons New School for Design but actually he has never finished it. Still, he gained some practical knowledge (eg. tailoring skills) which being mixed with his new and fresh ideas enabled him to launch his first women’s ready-to-wear collection in 2007. Wang favors everyday clothes so he uses standard patterns, sizes factory equipment and faster construction techniques in order to keep the costs low. His style can be described as a casually urban due to cut, color and patterns. 

Wang’s woman is a bit  tough and masculine, she listens to grunge and is inspired by this style. She takes an advantage of dark and grey colors and wants to be casually cool. Sometimes, when her mood changes, she chooses a cashmere sweater, cozy cardigan or oversized blazer, baggy trousers and match them with shrunken vests. She mixes vintage and haute couture and simultaneously adds a bit of modernity. Alexander Wang is now one of the hottest name in the world of fashion. His talent and clarity of vision was appreciated by Vogue magazine and that is why he won the CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund in 2008. Then, in 2009 he was announced as the winner of the Swarovski Womenswear Designer and the recipient of the Swiss Textilies Award. Due to those awards (and money he earned thanks to them) he was able to open his first shop on Grand Street in Soho. 

For all interested, checked his www address  http://www.alexanderwang.com/ and when being in the neighborhood visit his boutique.