Paris Fashion Week already has a buzz and turns one of the world's best cities into even more a hotspot. We were excited to be in Paris this past weekend for a special showcase and worldwide launch party for the Takashi Murakami x Vans Vault collection at Galerie Perrotin's Hotel du Grand Veneur space in the Le Marais neighborhood. Showcasing a special talk with Takashi, the entire collection of shoes, clothing, decks and some custom-artwork from the artist, it was a great reason to enjoy Paris for a few days.
As you may know from the past month of Juxtapoz coverage, we have not only traveled to Tokyo to interview Takashi for our July cover story, but we spoke with Vans' designer Taka Hayashi about the genesis of the project. In Paris, we got a chance to speak with Takashi about the shoes, as well as hear from VP of Lifestyle and Footwear at Vans, Steve Mills, about the ease of working with Takashi. For the past 15 years, Takashi has worn, almost everyday, the Classic Slip-On in white, so when asked about why he wanted to do the collab, Takashi joked, "It was like breathing for me... just a very natural thing to do."
Other things at the launch stood out, not just the skate deck designs but a few surfboards that showed up as well. Asked if he surfs, Takashi noted that he didn't, but liked the freedom that surfing represents in the context of the West Coast aesthetic. I joked with Takashi that with his love of Patagonia and Vans, two great West Coast brands, that maybe he should take up some surfing. He mentioned to us that he has found out that he dresses more Californian than he does Japanese, and that maybe it has to do with trends he saw as a teenager in Japan.
And of course, our friends at Nice Kicks asked if Takashi was going to replace his white Slip-Ons for his new flower ones. Although he loves his new designs, he can't see not wearing his white ones everyday.
Above our some of our photos from the installation, the press conference, and the launch party.
