Vans names SZA as its first artistic director

 ©️  Sophie Jones // Vans

Fresh off her Grand National Tour with Kendrick Lamar, SZA has just been appointed the first-ever Artistic Director of Vans, marking the beginning of a multi-year creative partnership. She will co-create exclusive sneaker and apparel collections while leading the brand’s campaigns and cultural conversations.

The first campaign, photographed by Sophie Jones and styled by Alejandra Hernandez, features SZA’s favorite Knu Skool sneakers. Inspired by skateboarding culture, the sneaker was first created in 1997 as a reimagined version of the Old Skool for ’90s kids. But the campaign is less about skateboarding clichés and more about the feeling of freedom, joy and adventure that this culture brings.

“Skate culture is so paramount to Vans, but the ethos of skate culture is what I think is beautiful,” she says. “There is a lot of perseverance, trying and failing—a community that loves to take risks.”