Brand: Concepts x Vault by Vans
Model: SK8-Hi, OG Authentic LX, and OG Old Skool NS LX
Release Date: October 7
Buy: CNCPTS' website and Boston, NYC, and Dubai stores
Editor’s Notes: Concepts and Vans are backkk — and they brought some more mohair with them.
Following the vibes of their 2020 linkup, Concepts and Vans reunite for another fuzzy sneaker rollout inspired by London's punk era, particularly its two-tone scene.
For a quick music lesson, two-tone is a music genre that was particularly popular in the UK during the 1970s and 1980s. 2-Tone Records, a British record label founded by Jerry Dammers of The Specials band, essentially birthed the music category — and well, its name.
Bands like The Specials and The Selecter posed as forerunners of the genre, whose unique sound is essentially a mix between Jamaican ska and punk rock. Basically, think: reggae meets rock with hints of pop.
And that wraps up my segment on two-tone. In the meantime, enjoy some sounds from The Selecter below.
As a token of their appreciation for the two-tone scene, Concepts and Vans appropriately named their collection "Question the Answers," after ska-punk band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones's fourth album.
The Concepts x Vans sneakers — an SK8-Hi, OG Authentic LX, and OG Old Skool NS LX — fully embrace the checkerboard motif as a mohair design on the upper and semi-hazy print on the translucent outsole.
Though Vans and checkerboard go way back, the print is also synonymous with the two-tone scene. Fun fact: two-tone bands, which were often comprised of multiracial members, utilized the print as a fashion statement and a symbol of unity during times of heightened racial tensions.
A Damier — that's French for checkerboard, by the way — jacket and shorts also reiterates Concepts and Vans' appreciation of the print, which is as stylish as it is meaningful to the British music genre.
As for those who aren't looking to channel their inner chess board, Concepts x Vans sweats, hoodies, tees, and track pants will also be up for the taking.
If I learned anything from Concepts and Vans' "Questions the Answers" collection, it was: 1) I may be a two-tone fan now, and 2) Concepts and Vans can't get enough of the British punk scene — and mohair.
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