Highsnobiety

Shane Gonzales is to Americana as Vivienne Westwood — one of his idols — was to British nostalgia. Gonzales tinkers with red, white, n' blue tropes with his recently relaunched clothing line, Midnight Studios, but he doesn't celebrate American motifs as much as he recontextualizes them.

Hence Gonzales' Vans collaboration, revealed exclusively to Highsnobiety, toys with staple elements of the American wardrobe, bringing jackets and jeans down to one's feet.

"The designs take inspiration from Hollywood style of the past decades; style that's come full circle to present day," Gonzales tells Highsnobiety. "The inspiration is past and present, created for everyone.

"The title of the collection, 'Star-Spangled Glamour,' explores the theme of classic Americana and Hollywood glamour. To me, these two themes tie into each other by evoking a sense of nostalgia, iconic style, and rebellious spirit that reflects the best of American culture."

Gonzales' genderless collection comprises three sneakers from Vans' high-end Vault line: the Old Skool VLT LX, Authentic Zip VLT LX,Sk8-Hi Reissue Strap VLT LX, all sporting uppers reflective of the garment that inspired them.

"The three styles I worked with focus on the combination of classic American styles that have stood the test of time: The perfecto jacket, the everyday jeans, and the cowboy boot," continued Gonzales. "The key was to find a balance between these different styles and to incorporate design elements that are characteristics of each one while still creating a cohesive and wearable shoe."

Hence why the Vans Authentic swaps out its conventional canvas upper for patched denim fitted with zippers and rivets, and why the Sk8-Hi now wears black leather fitted with collars, buckles and studs borrowed from biker's jackets.

Like their hardy inspirations, Gonzales Vans shoes are premium enough to be thrashed on a skateboard and live on, as they're designed to age as well as any staple garment.

As such, Gonzales saw no need to change the sneakers' shape because he saw the clear unionization of these disparate elements — classic clothing, classic skate shoe — as inherently compelling.

"Vans silhouettes like the Authentic, Sk8-High, and Old Skool have a simple, everlasting design," Gonzales said. "When designing my collection, the goal was to challenge the simplicity of these styles, while keeping them classic and instantly recognizable."

Just like a good pair of jeans.

What To Read Next

  • Image on Highsnobiety

    Kanye Quietly Unveiled YEEZY SEASON 10

    Culture
  • Image on Highsnobiety

    Inside Kanye's Secret YEEZY SEASON 10 Show

    Style
  • Image on Highsnobiety

    No More Sneakers: Kanye Is Just Wearing Socks Now

    Style
  • Image on Highsnobiety

    Wait, Kylie Jenner & Timothée Chalamet Are Actually Dating??

    Culture
  • Image on Highsnobiety

    The Price of Chanel’s F1 Tee Has the Internet in Bits

    Style
  • Image on Highsnobiety

    Kanye West Is Hiring YEEZY Employees From Craigslist

    Culture
*If you submitted your e-mail address and placed an order, we may use your e-mail address to inform you regularly about similar products without prior explicit consent. You can object to the use of your e-mail address for this purpose at any time without incurring any costs other than the transmission costs according to the basic tariffs. Each newsletter contains an unsubscribe link. Alternatively, you can object to receiving the newsletter at any time by sending an e-mail to info@highsnobiety.com

Web Accessibility Statement

Titelmedia (Highsnobiety), is committed to facilitating and improving the accessibility and usability of its Website, www.highsnobiety.com. Titelmedia strives to ensure that its Website services and content are accessible to persons with disabilities including users of screen reader technology. To accomplish this, Titelmedia has engaged UsableNet Inc, a leading web accessibility consultant to help test, remediate and maintain our Website in-line with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which also bring the Website into conformance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Disclaimer

Please be aware that our efforts to maintain accessibility and usability are ongoing. While we strive to make the Website as accessible as possible some issues can be encountered by different assistive technology as the range of assistive technology is wide and varied.

Contact Us

If, at any time, you have specific questions or concerns about the accessibility of any particular webpage on this Website, please contact us at accessibility@highsnobiety.com, +49 (0)30 235 908 500. If you do encounter an accessibility issue, please be sure to specify the web page and nature of the issue in your email and/or phone call, and we will make all reasonable efforts to make that page or the information contained therein accessible for you.