Vans Names SZA Its First-Ever Artistic Director

SZA is swapping the stage for the skatepark…kind of. The singer is the new artistic director for Vans, the company announced Thursday.

“If you think about Vans and me, it makes so much sense,” she told Vogue in an interview. “I've always been about comfort and self-expression. I love feeling stable, sturdy—and also cute as fuck.”

Historically, Vans has been part of the uniform of skaters and those who can at least convincingly ollie. SZA is not one of them. Still, she gets the vibe. “Skate culture is so paramount [to Vans], but the ethos of skate culture is what I think is beautiful,” she said anyway. “There is a lot of perseverance, trying and failing—a community that loves to take risks.”

SZA is joining Vans as its first-ever artistic director 🛹

She will take on a multitude of roles, including overseeing campaigns and creating new silhouettes and exclusive designs. pic.twitter.com/L5H55e4Rxu
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) August 14, 2025

That attitude bleeds into her vision for the brand: outdoorsy, whimsical, and a little unexpected.

“What I’m noticing is that people are yearning to escape—to go into nature and the wilderness," she said. "I feel like nature has poor marketing: I want to be part of the best marketing that nature could have, and be the best marketing for corny, cringey humanity.”

Sza said she mostly hikes in the pairs of Vans she owns.

“I'm not trying to make Vans into Bottega Veneta,” she said. “I just want people to feel excited about being active.”

The designs themselves might get wild if she can get her way. “I’ll go as far as they’ll let me go,” she said of her concepts. “I’m still a novice, but I know color, and I know silhouette.”

Vans is bringing SZA into the fold at a challenging moment. VF corporation, its parent company, announced in May that it was cutting around 400 jobs.

Brining SZA into the fold is kind of a bold move for Vans, which could use a little creative jolt. Parent company VF Corporation announced in May that it had cut around 400 jobs as part of a global reorganization aimed at turning business around. Its revenue has also fallen.

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