Luxury Briefing: Why Vans OTW is launching its new shoe at Milan Design Week

As part of the sprawling Salone del Mobile — the world’s largest furniture and design fair, running from April 8-13 — the brand is presenting the “Checkered Future: Frequency Manifest” installation at Triennale Milano, alongside a product launch. Milan Design Week happens across multiple events in the city in the same week, including Salone del Mobile, the Triennale and Fuorisalone. For Vans, this high-profile activation signals a broader push to solidify its presence within the luxury and design space, according to Ian Ginoza, vp and creative director of OTW by Vans.

The installation, conceptualized by renowned furniture designer Willo Perron and featuring sound by Canadian musician Tim Hecker, is all about translating sound into a physical experience. “It’s about taking consumers to a new space,” said Ginoza, noting that the brand typically focuses on skate and music. “And it’s about creating a conversation between past inspirations and future aspirations.”

Vans’s “Off The Wall” premium innovation division was launched in 2024 to develop and revitalize products for Vans after the brand folded its previous premium Vault project.

Vans’s Old Skool 36 FM shoe, which is debuting at Milan Design Week, is the first release under OTW’s Future Make series, a line dedicated to pushing the boundaries of design, advanced construction and modern materiality. The shoe’s aesthetic takes cues from sonic vibrations and architectural forms, with the 3D-injected TPU structural side stripe acting as a nod to the brand’s legacy. “It’s akin to the concept car model in the auto industry,” said Ginoza. “We’re taking a legacy, iconic franchise and imagining what it could be.” The Old Skool 36 FM will be available in two colorways, Marshmallow and Black — they’ll sell for $125, starting on April 11.

The installation itself merges the site’s architectural history with a synthetic sound communal experience, with performances by musicians Björk, Vegyn and Evissimax. The grand balcony, transformed into a ceremonial stage framed by mirrored panels, is set to create a surreal, immersive experience linking music and design by using light, architecture and sound. All of the events are open to Triennale ticket holders and attendees.

Vans chose to debut OTW’s “Future Make” series at Milan Design Week because the event offers a unique opportunity for brands to experiment, refine their narratives and expand their influence. “It’s where we can have a genuine dialogue with the design community,” Ginoza said. “We’re not just another brand doing another drop. This is about establishing ourselves as a creative force in a new space.”

Milan Design Week has become a platform for luxury brands seeking cultural credibility, and also a launchpad for furniture and design concepts. Since around 2010, luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Bottega Veneta have used Milan Design Week as a platform to establish cultural credibility — in 2012, Louis Vuitton launched Objets Nomades, collaborating with designers like Patricia Urquiola and the Campana Brothers. Bottega Veneta debuted its Home collection at Salone del Mobile in 2014, marking its entry into the design world with a focus on artisanal craftsmanship and architectural minimalism. Many of the participating brands aim to position themselves as curators of sophisticated, artful living.

According to Ginoza, Vans’s first activation at Salone is a step toward expanding its reach beyond skate culture to intersect with a more design-conscious audience. It will share the experience across its social platforms.

Per a May 2024 report by Lefty, Milan Design Week drew over 370,000 visitors in 2024, a 20.2% increase from 2023, with 65.6% of attendees coming from abroad. The report noted that over 18,000 social profiles tracked the event, generating an earned media value of $13.5 million Last year, Molteni&C dominated the online conversation through partnerships with celebrities and brands including Gucci and Bottega Veneta.

At the Salone del Mobile.Milano 2024, the event recorded a total attendance of 370,800 visitors, with professional attendees increasing by 28.6% compared to the previous year.  This indicates that approximately 106,000 additional professionals attended in 2024 compared to 2023. The demographics consist mainly of professionals, like designers and buyers, students and the public.

Some brands up in a big way. Louis Vuitton is launching its first home collection at Salone this week. Anna Jewsbury from the U.K.-based jewelry brand Completedworks, which regularly shows at London Fashion Week, is also launching furniture at Triennale. Hermès is back at event space La Pelota with radiant glassware and cashmere plaids by Sudanese artist Amer Musa, while Gucci is showcasing its bamboo-inspired installation at the San Simpliciano cloisters. Louis Vuitton is also drawing top-tier clients with its Objets Nomades collection in a luxe showroom experience. 

Loewe, meanwhile, is making a bold statement at Salone with its ninth showcase. Dubbed “Loewe Teapots,” it blends high art and craftsmanship through a collection of teapots by global talents like artists Patricia Urquiola, David Chipperfield, Naoto Fukasawa, Rosemarie Trockel, Simone Fattal and Madoda Fani. The brand sees this exhibit as an extension of its focus on craftsmanship, which is also the subject of the brand’s traveling exhibition that opened in Tokyo two weeks ago.

As for Vans, “It’s about progression and looking at what’s next,” Ginoza said, adding, “The best partnerships with musicians and designers are symbiotic in nature — it’s about coming together to achieve something neither of us could do alone.”

Luxury customers are panic buying after the tariff announcement

Luxury consumers are making quick, emotion-driven purchases in response to looming tariffs on high-end goods, according to Jhara Valentini, founder of digital media marketing company Valentini Media Group. The agency, which counts Watches of Switzerland Group, home to Rolex and Cartier, Louis Vuitton and Diane von Furstenberg among its clients, has been preparing for the current market turbulence since late August 2024.

“What’s happening now is a knee-jerk reaction to anticipated cost increases. Starting on Friday, we began to see demand increase and cost per acquisition decrease by almost 16%, and that’s since just the previous day,” said Valentini. “It’s very early, but we knew there would be a potential opportunity for luxury, specifically with higher average order value ticket items.”

Tariffs, which are the taxes imposed by governments on imported goods, have led to a surge in impulse purchases as consumers scramble to buy luxury items before price hikes set in. “If there is a tariff from Switzerland or Europe, a bag or watch is going to cost me X amount more. So, I’m going to buy it now,” Valentini said, speaking about Swiss tariffs of 31% and European tariffs of 20%.

This urgency is particularly apparent in the high-end segment, where the average order value has increased by nearly 62%, and some clients’ conversion values have surged by over 200% since Friday. According to Valentini, it’s all about capitalizing on a consumer’s value perception. “The nice thing about luxury is that perception is really key. As long as there is perceived value and the investment is warranted, if there’s enough of an emotional connection, the conversion is going to happen.”

Moving forward, rather than reducing ad spend and waiting out the storm, Valentini recommended that brands double down on creating an appealing narrative that speaks to a consumer’s emotional investment in a product. “When you do that, the pricing takes a backseat,” she said.

Tariff impacts on the luxury market

The stock market is painting a grim picture of the recent tariff fallout, with Kering down 35%, Burberry down 35%, Prada down 26%, Ferragamo down 23%, Moncler down 20%, LVMH down 19%, Brunello Cucinelli down 16%, Richemont down 15% and Hermès down 12%, as of the morning of April 8.

Executive moves

• LVMH is shaking up its leadership, appointing Ramon Ros as CEO of Fendi effective July 1 and Charlotte Coupé as CEO of Kenzo effective May 1, both moving over from Louis Vuitton. Meanwhile, Daniel DiCicco joins from Apple to lead Vuitton’s Mainland China business starting April 28, as the group continues stacking its marquee brands with young, accomplished talent.
• BHV Marais is betting on fresh leadership with the appointment of Karl-Stéphane Cottendin as CEO on April 8, tasking the former Merrill Lynch analyst with finalizing its restructuring, upgrading logistics and unveiling a new vision for the Parisian department store. In 2023, Groupe SGM acquired BHV Marais from Galeries Lafayette.
• Matthieu Blazy is quietly building his dream team at Chanel after officially starting as artistic director of fashion activities on April 1. Maison Margiela’s Andrew Heather is set to join the haute couture studio in June, according to WWD, as Blazy gears up for his Paris Fashion Week debut this October.

News to know

• Prada is reportedly nearing a potential €1 billion ($1.1 billion) acquisition of Versace from Capri Holdings, down from the initial €1.8 billion ($2 billion) price Capri paid in 2018. According to Italian publications Corriere della Sera and La Repubblica, the decision is expected to come by April 10, following extended negotiations complicated by Trump’s new tariffs and the recent appointment of Dario Vitale as Versace’s chief creative officer.
• The Tourism Authority of Thailand is teaming up with 3.1 Phillip Lim for its 2025 “Blooming Lotus” campaign, turning the allure of HBO’s “The White Lotus” into a limited-edition collection that channels Thailand’s vibrant culture through sleek, travel-ready pieces. It will launch on April 24.
• ​​The bridal industry is in crisis mode as tariffs threaten to hike gown prices, prompting over 2,300 industry representatives to sign a petition to appeal the Trump administration for tariff exemptions. Brands including Mon Cheri, Justin Alexander and Anne Barge are hustling to shift production, cut costs and keep brides’ dream dresses within reach.
• Chanel is doubling down on its luxury supply chain with a fresh investment in historic silk specialist Mantero Seta SpA, adding to its impressive portfolio of over 15 Italian suppliers.

Listen in

The Glossy podcast has had a refresh, with new episodes combining our Week in Review segments and C-suite interviews now dropping on Fridays. This latest episode features an interview with the CEO of French department store Printemps, Jean-Marc Bellaiche.

Read on Glossy

Why Old Navy is getting into occasionwear. Gen Z wants underwire bras. Tariffs are shaking up the fashion industry. TikTok ban delays are confusing brands.