Vans Launches 'The Story of DIY,' Stories of Artists and Musicians Blazing Their Own Path
By: Sarah Jae Leiber Aug. 20, 2019
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.
"The campaign speaks to a universal idea of creative expression and shows how it's manifested by Vans family around the world," shares Jamie Reilly, Vans VP of Global Creative. "Skate Society Soweto, The Diders, Revolback, and Culture Abuse all embody the true meaning of Do It Yourself as they build their own communities and their own scenes. We're honored to help tell their stories."
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 - August 22 - 24, 2019
Chicago, IL - August 24, 2019
Paris, France - August 29, 2019
Berlin, Germany - August 30, 2019
London, UK - August 31, 2019
Philadelphia, PA - September 5, 2019
Boston, MA - September 6, 2019
Detroit, MI - September 8, 2019
Los Angeles, CA - September 12, 2019
Oakland, CA - September 13, 2019
New Orleans, LA - September 19, 2019
Austin, TX - September 22, 2019
Brooklyn, NY - September 25, 2019
Washington, D.C. - September 26, 2019
Miami, FL - September 28, 2019
The August 24th show at House of Vans Chicago will kick off the US based events, with Converge curating the line-up, which also features Cloud Nothings and Djunah, plus DIY art screen-printing workshop which involves band members Jake Bannon & Thomas Hopper.
"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 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.
Watch a trailer for the new campaign here:
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