The global fashion industry is responsible for nearly 10% of all carbon emissions and as fast fashion accelerates, so does its environmental toll. But not everyone’s chasing speed. In a culture obsessed with new, there’s something revolutionary about choosing to remake what already exists.
On Saturday 2 August, Vans invited its community to do exactly that at the Vans Sandton store, where the brand hosted a one-day customisation workshop in collaboration with Sealand.
The event formed part of Vans’ ongoing series of workshops designed to bring fans closer to the brand’s creative spirit. From sneaker customisation and printmaking to zine-making and upcycling, these sessions are less about product and more about making space for creativity with a conscience.
Leading the Way in Sustainable Street Culture
From its earliest days in SoCal skateparks to street corners around the world, Vans has always stood for doing things your own way. That spirit still runs deep but today, it comes with a sharper awareness of how products are made, used, and discarded.
In recent years, Vans has stepped up its sustainability journey by introducing recycled and responsibly sourced materials into its collections, reducing water and energy use in production, and rethinking its packaging to cut back on waste. The Vans VR3 Checkerboard Globe logo, now a signpost for the brand’s most planet-forward products, represents its pledge to source 100% of their top materials from regenerative, responsibly sourced, renewable, or recycled sources by 2030.
For the workshop, Vans partnered with Sealand, a Cape Town-based brand that shares a similar belief that creativity and responsibility can (and should) coexist. Founded in 2015, Sealand is built on the principle that waste isn’t waste until you waste it. From upcycled yacht sails and canvas offcuts to responsibly sourced materials, everything they create is made to challenge the way we think about value.
A Shared History of Purpose-Led Design
This isn’t the first time Vans and Sealand have found common ground. Back in 2020, the brands first teamed up at House of Vans Johannesburg, where Sealand was invited to reimagine Vans’ production waste into limited edition tote bags. And just like that, a partnership rooted in purpose took shape.
Both brands have long championed a duality between urban and outdoor living by designing products made to move easily between concrete and coastlines, skateparks and mountainsides. This shared philosophy continues to guide their collaboration today.
Vans’ latest workshop challenges us to see potential in the discarded. Fashion doesn’t have to be wasteful to be expressive, and streetwear doesn’t have to sacrifice the planet to be bold.
