Together As Ourselves
This year for Pride, Vans collaborated with Queer artists Tyris Winter and Kae Tempest to design a collection inspired by the diverse individuals in the Queer community. With an “Off The Wall” spirit that has shaken up the world of poetry, taking it out of the bookshops and onto the festival stages, London-based rapper, poet, novelist, and non-binary advocate Kae Tempest is a living embodiment of creative expression. For their Poets Pride Hoodie, Kae wanted to create love letter to the rugged, abstract coastline of Britain. The images of sunrise, sunset, cliffs, and sea are physical manifestations for Kae of change and persistence. The collection’s repeated phrase ‘How many you’s have you been?’ is a recognition of the many selves we each contain.
In celebration of Pride, Vans is donating a total of $200,000 from the Checkerboard Fund at Tides Foundation to organizations committed to advocating for and providing the space, access and community needed to uplift the LBGTQ+ community.
