The announcement of Karl Lagerfeld x Vans has come as a surprise to many, as the former is known for creating sophisticated luxury clothing styles while the latter is known as a casual skateboarding casualwear brand.
Nonetheless, the seemingly unlikely collaboration is happening. Largerfeld, who is best known for being the creative mind behind Chanel and Fendi, will infuse his signature style with that of Vans'. The shoes will feature a "camouflage update" for Vans' signature checkerboard pattern. They will also "depict Lagerfeld's iconic profile, with boucle fabric, and a quilted letter K among other leitmotifs." The collection reflects a rise of luxury fashion merging with accessible fashion, in order for the former to reach more consumers, and the latter to elevate brand perception.
The Karl Lagerfeld x Vans collection will drop on September 7th.
Designer Skateboarding Shoe Collabs
Karl Lagerfeld X Vans Will Be Released in Early September
Trend Themes
1. Luxury-casualwear Collaborations - The rise of luxury fashion merging with accessible fashion creates opportunities for luxury brands to broaden their reach and for casualwear brands to elevate their brand perception.
2. Innovative Shoe Designs - Collaborations between unlikely partners like Karl Lagerfeld and Vans can result in unique and eye-catching shoe designs that disrupt traditional footwear options.
3. Personalized Shoe Collections - Customized shoe collections featuring a designer's signature style, like the boucle and quilted letter K featured in the Lagerfeld x Vans collection, could become more prevalent in the fashion industry.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion - Fashion industry professionals can explore Collaborations that bridge the gap between luxury and casualwear to reach a broader audience.
2. Sports and Leisure - The sports and leisure industry can explore collaborations with luxury brands to elevate the brand positioning of their casualwear items and broaden their target audience.
3. Footwear - Footwear industry professionals can create personalized shoe collections with feature unique designs from unlikely collaborations that appeal to a wider range of consumers.