Vans has just been revealed that Anderson .Paak has become the brand's first global music ambassador .Paak will act as one of the global judges for the brand’s new Vans Musicians Wanted competition, which aims to provide a platform for aspiring artists around the world.
"I’m honored to be the newest member of the Vans Family and look forward to making history with one of the most respected global brands,” .Paak said about the opportunity. “I’m thankful for Vans’ partnership with .Paak House and can’t wait to broaden our reach to help even more people tap into their greatest potential.”
.Paak has been a supporter of Vans throughout his career, with the skateboard and sneaker brand having close ties to his native West Coast. In light of the partnership, .Paak and Vans also decided to drop an exclusive footwear/bucket hat collection inspired by the artist's SoCal roots and critically acclaimed albums Venice and Malibu.
The footwear collection consists of an Old Skool DX silhouette inspired by .Paak's debut album, which features a smooth and psychedelic upper that mixes digital print and 3D printing for added depth and texture and is finished with bold yellow eyelets and a translucent blue vinyl Sidestripe.
Sid DX pays homage to AP’s 2016 album Malibu and showcases embroidered chenille pattern uppers paired with tonal black laces and features a Flying-V logo embroidered at each side. All the sneakers have a custom tongue label message from .Paak.
“We are inspired by AP’s multifaceted creative talent and are excited to continue to partner with him throughout the next year for curated music and art initiatives, product design and enabling creativity within the local community and around the world,” added Tierney Stout, global music marketing lead at Vans. “Anderson epitomizes creative expression and we are thrilled to officially welcome him into the Vans Family.”
The collection includes a matching bucket hat and will be available worldwide on Nov. 13 at retail prices ranging from $40 to $110.
Along with the drop, .Paak also released the animated visual for his track "Jewelz" which features him in the new collection.
Check out some first-look images of the new Vans x Anderson .Paak collection below.
