No rules and unapologetic – the “Do-It-Yourself” (DIY) nature of the hardcore punk movement began in the late 1970s and birthed a global community of artists, musicians, and fans that uphold the DIY ethos, where creators take matters into their own hands to express themselves through art and music. To provide a glimpse into the unique community, Vans kicks off its latest brand campaign, ‘The Spirit of DIY,’ featuring ambassadors of DIY culture from around the world who are making things happen and influencing the communities around them.
With the goal of further enabling this creative outlet, Vans will host global activations with DIY moments and workshops to not only commemorate artists and musicians who’ve stood in line with the DIY movement but to invite newcomers who haven’t had a place to bring their special form of expression to a broader audience. Through House of Vans and grassroots pop-ups, these DIY activations will be unique to each location and will feature musicians and artists who’ve enabled the DIY culture since the ’70s along with individuals who continue the culture today. Flash events will be taking place at the following cities:
Johannesburg, South Africa – Aug 22 – 24, 2019
Chicago, IL – Aug 24, 2019
Paris, France – Aug 29, 2019
Berlin, Germany – Aug 30, 2019
London, UK – Aug 31, 2019
Philadelphia, PA – Sept 5, 2019
Boston, MA – Sept 6, 2019
Detroit, MI – Sept 8, 2019
Los Angeles, CA – Sept 12, 2019
Oakland, CA – Sept 13, 2019
New Orleans, LA – Sept 19, 2019
Austin, TX – Sept 22, 2019
Brooklyn, NY – Sept 25, 2019
Washington, D.C. – Sept 26, 2019
Miami, FL – Sept 28, 2019
“I was about 14 years old when I went to a punk show for the first time and I didn’t really know who I was before that,” said David Kelling of California-based hardcore band, Culture Abuse. “I pretty much had my mind made up that I wanted to play music and the punk world was where I could grow and learn. It provided me a sense of community unlike anywhere else.”
‘The Spirit of DIY’ expands on Vans’ THIS IS OFF THE WALL narrative, storytelling that defines what “Off The Wall” means through the brand’s founding pillars of action sports, art, music and street culture. For DIY-ers, “Off The Wall” is carving out a space for yourself on your own terms. For more information on the latest stories from Vans visit Vans.com/DIY and join the conversation by using #OffTheWall on social media.