Right now in Huntington Beach, something like a half million souls are pouring sweat onto each other and hoping to get laid while pretending to care about a QS event. The US Open of Surf’s title sponsor is Vans, a company that you know about. They’re the ones who make the checkered slip ons and give Dane Reynolds, Alex Knost, Joel Tudor, and all three Gudauskases shoes and money. And guess what? They just did a much cooler thing than any of that: they partnered with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam to make a bunch of things featuring the works of Vincent van Gogh. It has all the EARmarks of a great idea. Yes, pun intended.
“Vans and the Van Gogh Museum proudly partner to present an artfully designed collection utilizing Van Gogh masterpieces across iconic Vans Classics and premium apparel silhouettes, available worldwide August 3,” the website explained. “The Van Gogh Museum will dedicate a portion of its profits from this project to the preservation of Vincent van Gogh’s legacy and collection of art; keeping it accessible for future generations.”
Vincent van Gogh, you uncultured swine, is probably the most famous post-impressionist artists in history. There are just over 2,000 of his paintings floating around, each worth a fortune. And although he’s van Gogh and everyone already knows his name, curators at the Van Gogh Museum are excited about the idea. “We are delighted with the Vans x Van Gogh Museum collection as it ties in with our mission to make the life and work of Vincent van Gogh accessible to as many people as possible in order to enrich and inspire them,” Adriaan Dönszelmann, Managing Director of the Van Gogh Museum said in a press release.
Vans chose some very famous paintings to adorn their shoes, shirts, and backpacks. Skull, Almond Blossom, Sunflowers and van Gogh’s self-portrait (the one where he has both ears) are all part of the collection, which you can buy on August 3rd.
