House of Vans in London

London: Last week saw the launch of House of Vans London, a 3,000sqm art, music and skate space under Waterloo station, and the latest addition to London’s creative playground. Representing the eclectic diversity of London and the cultures that have embraced Vans from its humble beginnings, through five decades, House of Vans opens with a showcase of creativity and a commitment to nurturing its next generation.

With the ribbon cut, Steve Van Doren himself lead the way through the tunnels, giving a tour of the 3,000sqm venue. Starting with the gallery, hosting the ‘Scissors & Glue’ exhibition, paying homage to the DIY culture at the heart of creativity, the tour then took in the Vans Labs; four artists studios open for residencies and workshops. With legends of skateboarding such as Christian Hosoi and Tony Alva at hand, the focus soon turned to the bowl.

After a quick skate, perhaps the most comprehensive assemblage of Vans Athletes ever to be seen boarded a boat from the London Eye Pier. With the cream of the Vans teams on board, including the likes of Geoff Rowley, Anthony Van Engelen, Daan Van Der Linden, Curren Caples and Sam Partaix from the skate team, Lee Ann Curren representing Vans Surf, plus snowboarders Arthur Longo, Wolle Nyvelt and Aimee Fuller, as well as BMXers Bruno Hoffman, Sean Sexton and Dan Lacey, the boat set sail for a tour of the Thames.

Back on dry land and at the House of Vans, the theme of diversity continued with the evening’s music line up: hip hop heavies Public Enemy headlined, with support from stalwarts of skate rock, Dinosaur Jr and London’s own Roots Manuva, as well as Toddla T, Savages and Illume Sphere. Keep an eye on HouseOfVansLondon.com to watch the film and see what went down.

House of Vans London opened last weekend, presenting ‘Scissors & Glue’, inspirational talks from the exhibition’s curators and music from ‘The 2 Bears’ and ‘Alexander Nut’, amongst many others. Skate sessions will be taking place all day, and The Wall, SE1 café will be serving their moreish American style dishes from midday until late. If you want to come and skate, make sure to pre-register at houseofvanslondon.com/book-skate-session.

In the Vans Art Labs, adjacent to the gallery space, workshops and complimentary services will be provided by longstanding Vans Family members, including Lovenskate, getting you involved with their stylish screen printing, Man Up Girl with customised embroidery, Wah Nails, decorating your nails with unique and inspired art, and the AONO Barbershop, ensuring you're looking sharp and immaculately groomed.

#HouseOfVans
www.HouseOfVansLondon.com

OPENING HOURS*

10:00 – 22:00 Saturdays
10:00 – 18:00 Sundays
(closed Mondays and Tuesdays)
16:00 – 22:00 Wednesdays & Thursdays
12:00 – 22:00 Fridays
*unless billed otherwise

House of Vans proudly supports
railwaychildren.org.uk
actionforchildren.org.uk
oldvictheatre.com/oldvicnewvoices

LINKS:

Website - http://houseofvanslondon.com/
Skatepark Sign-up - http://houseofvanslondon.com/book-skate-session
Creative Submissions - http://houseofvanslondon.com/contact

About Vans: 

In 1966, the Van Doren Rubber Company opened up for business in California. Within a few years, global skate culture had adopted the Vans shoe as their footwear of choice, and today Vans still represents a look that epitomises the Southern California lifestyle. With more than 45 years of history and now offering a complete range of footwear, apparel and accessories, Vans has risen to become a worldwide dominant force in the action sports industry.


source Vans by press release