Vans Vault Summer Series at Tenue de Nîmes
Tenue de Nîmes and Blueprint Amsterdam have teamed up for another fantastic overdye collaboration. The two have been releasing winner after winner for a few seasons now and for summer 2020, they’ve just dropped another limited batch of hand-dyed indigo goodness to mark the start of the Tenue de Nîmes Summer Series!
The ‘Summer Series’ is a unique concept by Tenue de Nîmes, which kicks off last Friday! Starting with the instantly recognisable Vans Slip Ons in the iconic ‘Checkerboard’ pattern, the store reached out to the renowned design studio Blueprint Amsterdam in order to offer a series of unique natural hand dyed Vans sneakers. The Vans models used are also from the higher tier ‘Vault’ collection, further elevating the release.
Vans Vault – Back to the OG
In the late 1970s, the son of Vans founder Paul Van Doren, noticed that teenage skaters were coloring the rubber midsole of their shoes with black pens to create a checkerboard look. Vans latched onto this craze by moving the pattern onto the upper and the rest was history… An icon was born.
The premium ‘Vault’ line offered by Vans was established in 2003 and is inspired by decades of classic designs and silhouettes. Vault is where the brand re-issue classic OG styles and release very limited collaborations. A more exclusive element of the Vans family and only available at select retailers who have been carefully hand picked by the brand. As of this summer, Vans will change its faithful shoe last for the Vault line after decades of loyal service. This was one factor which encouraged another Tenue de Nimes x Blueprint Amsterdam collaboration!
Tenue de Nîmes x Blue Print Amsterdam
Tenue de Nîmes is one of three select retailers in the Netherlands who offer Vans Vault, and for good reason. The store continues to be a heavy hitter in the retail game and is well known for a carefully curated brand selection, it’s knowledgeable staff and exclusive collaborations. For the Summer Series, TdN reached out to Blueprint Amsterdam, which is one the world’s best indigo-driven creative studios that follows in the footsteps of Japanese artisans. Working by hand with only natural dyes, Blueprint Amsterdam has become a well-respected indigo sanctuary in the Netherlands, but known much further afield. Collaboratively, the studio has released custom made bandannas, t-shirts, jackets and much more, all with natural indigo dye as the starting point. Combining this key ingredient with creative exploration has led to some memorable partnerships!
The Summer Series
The Summer Series concept was born during the COVID-19 pandemic. As most physical stores in Europe needed to shut their doors, creativity became more important than ever! The crisis – with all its uncertainty – forced stores to be more flexible and innovative in their approach to ‘business as usual’ and TdN made the best of it. The Summer Series was just one of the concepts born during the global pandemic for this Amsterdam pillar of style.
When Menno van Meurs, owner of Tenue de Nîmes, heard that Vans was about to change the last of the Vault line, he decided to buy most of the existing stock which was left. Initially because they are comfortable, durable and have been part of the TdN collection for many years, but also because it goes hand in hand with the stores innovative approach to product release; small, limited and exclusive.
The Tenue de Nîmes Summer Series is a unique concept, giving space to creative exploration and upcycling, values that perfectly fit the identity and curation of the store, as well as the partners who TdN work with.
With the initial offering of the Vans Vault Slip Ons, Tenue de Nîmes gave absolute freedom to indigo superstar Celia Geraedts, owner of Blueprint Amsterdam. By using the best natural indigo available, Celia added a unique blue shade to the slip-ons. Each pair has been dyed by the hands of Celia in Blueprint’s studio on the outskirts of the city, meaning that no pair will be the same.
The Summer Series by Tenue de Nîmes is an invitation to be creative and a call to upcycle existing items in order to present unique and exclusive items. The Vans Vault Slips Ons are just the beginning and we’re reliably informed that there might even be a few more limited drops lined up for the summer, so keep your ears to the ground.
The Vans Vault Slips Ons Checkerboard Summer Series are now available at tenuedenimes.com for €115 for as long as the stocks last!
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