Dive Brief:
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Nordstrom VP Olivia Kim, responsible for many of the retailer's in-store and online pop-up events, has designed a range of footwear and apparel to celebrate the 50th anniversary of iconic skateboarding brand Vans.
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The Vans selection includes Old Skools and chukkas created by Kim, a project she tackled with designer Alex Dymond, according to a Nordstrom blog post.
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Some of Kim's Vans designs are exclusive to Nordstrom, and are available now through Sept. 4 online and in Nordstrom stores in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, McLean, VA and Vancouver, BC.
Dive Insight:
Nordstrom has jumped all over the pop-up concept to shed its staid, upscale reputation. The department store has found success with in-store pop-ups developed in partnership with Topshop and BaubleBar, as well as a shoe line from actress Sarah Jessica Parker, among others.
Nordstrom has also begun a successful “pop-in @ Nordstrom” campaign featuring what it calls “an ongoing series of themed pop-up shops meant to excite and intrigue our customers. For each pop-in, Kim curates an eclectic mix of goods and houses them in specially designed spaces that encourage interaction and engagement.”
The Vans effort, a celebration of a half-century of the iconic California skate brand and the attendant lifestyle, is aimed at back-to-school shoppers, but Kim says that sneakers like those from Vans are now an integral part of fashion that’s acceptable to wear everywhere—not just in school, but also dressed up and out on the town, and even in the office.
“Vans has always been in fashion for skateboarders and surfers and that reach has gotten so wide recently,” Kim said in a blog post. “Skateboarders back in the ‘80s and ‘90s were considered misfits, weirdos, the kids who weren’t playing more traditional sports. And that subculture has now become very mainstream and you see loads of brands wanting to channel that emotion. I love that companies are embracing the rawness and creativity of what once was considered an outsider sport, but it still needs to feel authentic and not just a way to get in touch with the younger kids. Vans has always been so great about being true to who they are—and it’s awesome to see that their style now influences big fashion houses!”