September 23, 2020
Vans x Kids Of Immigrants
“WORK A DAY IN OUR SHOES” CELEBRATES THE WORKING CLASS, THE IMMIGRANTS & THE UNDERREPRESENTED.
Vans comes together with Kids of Immigrants, the Los Angeles-based brand and collective, to announce their footwear collaboration and campaign, ”Work A Day In Our Shoes.” Available October 2 at limited retailers, this collection stays true to the essence of Kids of Immigrants, celebrating the working class, the immigrant community and all of the people on the margins. It honors the blood, sweat and tears shed by their families and communities to persevere and the relentless work ethic and drive that they embody. Like the history, culture, and beliefs behind Kids Of Immigrants, the brand is unisex and for all people.
The campaign features the actual family members of each KOI member as role models, shining a light on our everyday heroes that have long been left in the shadows and have now become the world’s heroes during the pandemic. Kids of Immigrants' family members include Evelyn Gonzales, a first-generation Mexican-American crew member; Chris Gray, a first-generation Jamaican-Belizian-American owner/operator; Nohemí Buezo, a first-generation Honduran-American BSN, RN, PCCN; and Nai-muh Dennis, a first-generation Liberian-American e-Commerce manager.
Speaking on the collaboration between Greenhouse, Vans, and KOI, Mel Peralta, Sr. Director of Greenhouse shared, "The Greenhouse team is composed of a first-generation Chinese-American, Brazilian-American and Dominican-American, so working with the brand KIDS OF IMMIGRANTS isn’t just a great partnership, it literally describes us, our families and their respective journeys to the U.S.," adding that "We’re not only a product incubator, we’re a cultural incubator at heart and in practice. The collaboration with KIDS OF IMMIGRANTS and Vans captures the energy and ethos of what we stand for. We hope people continue to learn more about the vibrant immigrant communities in our country and their importance."
Vans Lowland CC footwear silhouette served as a canvas which was inspired by the father of founder Daniel Buezo who has been a longtime construction worker. The body is lined with an off white canvas material doused in paint strokes. Each shoe has been personally modified and distressed by members of KOI and will be accompanied by a brush and sandpaper that allows for additional customization.
In celebration of the partnership, Vans will be donating $5,000 USD to A New Way of Life, a non-profit that provides support for women rebuilding their lives after prison. Kids of Immigrants will be partnering with A New Way of Life to build a community garden (fruits and vegetables) at the new home in Los Angeles that currently hosts 8 women.
Each pair of the Vans x Kids of Immigrants collaboration will retail at $100 and be available on October 2nd exclusively on the Greenhouse App, Footlocker, Foot Locker Compton and Kids of Immigrants.