Valentino Garavani x Vans: When Couture Goes “Off the Wall”

In the world of coolabs, Valentino Garavani and Vans just entered the chat, teaming up to reimagine the skate icon with a couture twist .

The sneakers first hit the runway during Valentino’s AW25–26 show, staged at the surreal Le Méta Théâtre Des Intimités in Paris. Amid the gowns and the drama, Alessandro Michele slipped in a new kind of protagonist: Vans’ Authentic, the low-key legend from 1966, now dressed in Valentino’s language of luxury .

The silhouette stays true — durable canvas uppers, waffle soles, that laid-back profile — but Valentino pushes the volume up. Six variations drop, for both men and women, some with chessboard checks, others stamped with the VLogo Signature, and one playful take dubbed Le Chat de la Maison. Each pair lands in a special Valentino box, because of course .

Starting September 12, the sneakers hit Valentino.com and the Middle East exclusively at Level Shoes Dubai Mall, before rolling out worldwide at Vans’ Oxford Street flagship and Valentino boutiques on September 19 . Limited, collectible, and guaranteed to spark sneakerhead FOMO.

At first glance, Valentino and Vans couldn’t be further apart: one born in Rome’s ateliers, the other in California’s skate parks. But both share a stubborn individuality — a refusal to conform, a love of youth culture in different dialects. Together, they prove that couture and curb appeal aren’t opposites. They’re two sides of the same sneaker.

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The campaign video and images were generated using AI, based on original visual material captured during the Valentino Le Méta-Théâtre Des Intimités show. All featured imagery was used with the informed consent of the models here portrayed and of all the talents involved in the execution of the show.