Vans OTW Pushes into Premium to Spark Turnaround.

Van first forray into fashion’s higher price points came when it launched its Vault collection in 2003 to rave reviews and steady sell-throughs for a decade and a half.

Looking to ignite the momentum the brand enjoyed for most of the ’2000s, Vans phased out the Vault line at the end of 2023 to make way for OTW, a line of footwear, apparel, and accessories that the brand refers to as “an evolved platform to push the boundaries of product design and brand experiences.”. The timing coincided with spiraling sales and waning influence after the leadership at its parent, VF Corporation — that also owns Northface, Supreme, Timberland, and Dickies — chose to centralize oversight of the brand from its corporate headquarters in Denver rather than allow Vans to retain autonomy from its Southern California home, where it had operated independently since its inception.

Big moves.

Last year's news about the shift was timed with the hiring of a new CEO, Bracken Darrell, an accomplished turnaround specialist who had previously engineered a triumphant comeback at Proctor & Gamble’s Old Spice. When Darrell took the helm in ’23, Vans' sales had tumbled 23%, and the overall VF portfolio drove the stock price down 75%. The outlook wasn’t pretty.

The launch of the OTW project was supposed to revive the ailing brand and provide a runway to better days. The OTW line hit the streets in February, with fresh drops in collaboration with respected skateboarder Sterling Ruby and his brand S.R. STUDIO. LA. CA., as well as New York-based women’s fashion apparel label Proenza Schouler. Given the recent activity, we thought we’d check in on the turnaround in progress.

As of the end of May, a major rebound hadn’t yet materialized, even after the latest OTW deliveries. But Darrell has seen some positive signs of improvement and can “see the turn ahead through the tunnel.”

In a recent article in Footwear News, Darrell sounded hopeful. “I feel good about the steps we’re taking, but there’s so much more ahead of us and so much more we can do,” he said. "I’m not going to sit here and predict a quarter for you, but I can see it coming.

Looking toward the future.

According to an article in Fortune, Darrell expected that the changes will take time. In the meantime, he plans on working closely with his team to rebuild Vans. Once he’s comfortable that the brand is heading in the right direction, he intends to take a hands-off approach, restoring its autonomy in SoCal that was previously compromised by VF.

“One way to make sure brands continue to be strong and authentic is to pretend they're not in a portfolio”, says Darrel about how he intends to treat the Vans brand going forward. “That's the LVMH model, where they function entirely independently of each other.

That’s good news for Vans enthusiasts like us at Better Off® Studio, who grew up repping the brand and are keening aware of how important it is for lifestyle brands to protect their authenticity. We’re rooting for Vans and will keep you posted on the revival efforts.