Calling upon their ambassadors, Vans asked them to interpret the Sk8-Hi into their personal style, and the reuslts can be seen below. We picked our five favourite ambassadors to see how they align with the Vans’ narrative and ethos. You can grab all iterations of the Sk8-Hi right here:
Jay Howell was a longtime Bay Area punk and art school dropout, continuing his love for doodling by crafting zines that he left around coffee shops and skate parks. Eventually, we would see his art on screens: He was an OG artist behind the characters on Bob’s Burgers, while he also now works at Nickelodeon. With his approach to animation throwing caution to the wind, it’s clear his punk rock roots have influenced his professional career, too. Plus, he has a great skateboard-riding dog.
No matter what you think of Odd Future, they’ve been a driving force in bringing colourful, contemporary skate aesthetic to hip-hop and a formidable force in encouraging more experimental sounds in the genre. Syd Tha Kyd has sung and produced her way to becoming one of their more notable members, while her role as a founding member of The Internet has also earned widespread praise.
It’s been a long time since Henry Rollins held the microphone for hardcore legends Black Flag, but the infamous frontman hasn’t lost an ounce of his visceral verbal attacking power. Rollins has toured the world many times over as a spoken word artist, unleashing his arsenal of stories and political commentary on audiences with a refreshing bluntness and dark humour. If you’re in the mood for a rant, please watch his speech on rave and modern rock music – and proceed to “fuck on the floor and break shit.”
Having walked for designers including Hedi Slimane and Tom Ford, Westling has caused a serious impact since her recent arrival to style circles in 2014. Despite any preconceptions that people may have about high-fashion models, Westling is a tomboy at heart, and has been skateboarding since she was 3 years old. To prove she’s not bluffing, she has ‘Skate’ tattooed on one arm, while the other wears a permanent Vans logo – a natural choice for the Sk8-Hi.
Dane Reynolds raised a few eyebrows with his unorthodox approach to surfing, showing amazing agility and versatility in the ocean. His activities onshore also mirror that same approach: He has an Instagram account for his dog that wears sunglasses and a denim jacket, while his creative talents can be seen in his exploration of painting and short film.