New York designer Sandy Liang is joining forces with two other American classics: Vans and Spongebob SquarePants.
The end result is a capsule collection featuring both loose interpretations of the show referencing the cartoon’s aesthetics and more direct calls to the iconic Nickelodeon characters.
Unveiled today, May 6, the five-piece collection’s offering includes a bucket hat, t-shirt, hoodie, and two pairs of classic Vans Sk8-Hi 38 DX reimagined by Sandy herself.
The hat, shirt, and hoodie feature SpongeBob and his friends, Squidward Tentacles, Sandy Cheeks, and Patrick Star, all dressed in items from the Sandy Liang ready-to-wear line.
Between the frilly Peter Pan collar, the sandals, and fleecy quarter zips, the cartoon stars look to have taken a page straight out of the brand of New York-style that Sandy Liang’s collections are known for.
“I wanted to refer back to Bikini Bottom whenever possible, but also while bringing the characters more into the real world, as in my version of the Lower East Side,” Sandy exclusively told Teen Vogue.
“I didn't want any of the outfits to feel too costumey and it was important that each of their outfits could be something I could see translated into a real garment.”
Both pairs of shoes are a more artistic interpretation of the franchise, with aesthetic callbacks to the show’s own visuals.
One pair offers a collage of prints that can be found in the show, as well as a print with origins from the designer’s own heritage.
The other is a loose interpretation by Sandy the designer dedicated to Sandy the squirrel. It features pastel blue and green on the upper body with appliqued flower embellishments.
“The mixed print shoe is a collage of different textiles and prints I was inspired by,” the designer told us.
“The plaid is taken from the Chinatown checkered laundry storage totes, and the other prints were taken from the intro title backgrounds of different SpongeBob episodes.”
This isn't the first time Sandy collaborates with Vans, or SpongeBob SquatePants for that matter, but few of us would have seen the three-way collab coming.
The full Vans x SpongeBob SquarePants by Sandy Liang collection drops June 4 and will be available online at vans.com/spongebob and in select Vans stores offline.
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