Here’s how we imagine the process of designing a shoe for a collaboration between two well-known skateboarding brands.
Stacy, the Corporate Guy: “Yo Clive, we need you to create two colorways for our collaboration with this super-hyped brand.”
Clive, the Lead Designer: “Okay, what did you have in mind?”
Stacy, the Corporate Guy: “It’s this hardcore pro skater’s pro model, what’s his face, and he wants the designs to reflect on this hipster company of his. I dunno, something something awesome.”
Clive, the Lead Designer: “Got it. So how about exploring colorways that’ll take into account the brand’s arty aesthetic? Like weird colors and unusual materials?”
Stacy, the Corporate Guy: “We’re one of the oldest skate brands on the planet, Clive. We didn’t get here by making shoes that look like a teddybear fucked an ice cream cone. Still, we need to give those people something.”
Clive, the Lead Designer: “Well, we could do a super limited crazy one and a boring one for the plebs. Makes the crazy one seem even more attractive. How about, like, a neon-white colorway and another, less obtrusive one?”
Corporate guy: “Whatever. As long as we’re making them happy. I’m too old for this shit.”
Stacy, the Corporate Guy’s Assistant, Mary: “Stacy, there is one Mr. Jason Dill on the line for you.”
Stacy, the Corporate Guy: “Fuck, that’s all I needed. Okay, put him through. Hold on for a second, Clive.”
Jason Dill, the Co-Founder of Fucking Awesome: “Yo yo yo, what’s up motherfuckin’ Stacy my motherfuckin’ mans?!”
Stacy, the Corporate Guy: “Well, good morning, Mr. Dill. We were just talking about —.”
Jason Dill, the Co-Founder of Fucking Awesome: “I know, the AVE Pro x FA collab, right? I brainstormed with my man Anthony that we should do something fucking radical, like groundbreaking arty shit. Whaddaya think, Stacy?
Stacy, the Corporate Guy: “Certainly, Mr. Dill. As I said, I was just talking to our lead designer, Clive. I told him that we should go forward with a super-exclusive, neon-white colorway to reflect the artistry of your brand.”
Jason Dill, the Co-Founder of Fucking Awesome: “Yeah, FUCKING NEON and shit! Fucking trippy shit! Sounds dope. But there’s gonna be a second colorway, right? Let’s make that one even more radical! FUCKING NEON ORANGE AND PURPLE MOTHERFUCKERS!”
Stacy, the Corporate Guy: “There really is no need to become agitated, Mr. Dill. Management has decided that we’re moving forward with a minimal, unobtrusive design. Idiosyncratic design choices might reflect badly on us down the line and cause people to talk about the brand negatively. We need a product that is easy to sell. Making it too outrageous wouldn’t sit right with our core customer base, skate shops.”
Jason Dill, the Co-Founder of Fucking Awesome: “Stacy, don’t be such a fucking lickspittle. Don’t be so fucking boring. Be fucking awesome! It’s the name of the motherfucking game, my mans! Just get creative! That’s what skate-fucking-boarding is all about my mans! Cre-a-ti-vi-ty! That’s also what Ed Templeton always said!”
Stacy, the Corporate Guy: “I appreciate your enthusiasm, Mr. Dill, and I will forward your inquiry to our lead designer.”
Jason Dill, the Co-Founder of Fucking Awesome: “Just make it like fucking radioactive, with weird neon reflective stripes and nonsensical references to popular culture or sports or old skate shit or —
Stacy, the Corporate Guy: “Thank you for calling, Mr. Dill. I will make sure that the exclusive neon-white colorway will enter production shortly.”
He hangs up the phone. He picks it up again and gets Clive on the line.
Stacy, the Corporate Guy: “Clive, we gotta do the super-exclusive neon-white version exclusively for FA. But there’s still the other one we sell to skate shops.”
Clive, the Lead Designer: “So, what do you think?”
Stacy, the Corporate Guy: “Just fucking make it black.”
You can buy the Vans AVE Pro x Fucking Awesome at our web shop and at our store in Frankfurt from December 10..
