Joe Freshgoods is a master of storytelling. With each new collection, Joe breathes new life into a moment in history and revitalizes it for a new era. Whether subtle like the “Conversations Amongst Us” or bold like the recent “Performance Art” collection, Joe always reflects pridefully on Black history.
Joining forces once more with Vault by Vans, Joe Freshgoods’ upcoming “Chocolate Valley Resort” draws inspiration from the Negro Motorist Green Book created by Black mailman Victor Hugo Green in 1936. For over 30 years, the guide provided advice for food and safe lodging during an extremely tumultuous era for Black people. Yet, despite the changing times, that didn’t stop Black people from traveling and enjoying their lives, which is a key theme throughout Joe’s work. During the creation of the project, Freshgoods said he drew from the experiences of early Black travelers and their “struggles to find welcoming and inclusive spaces on the road” and thus ideated a log cabin-style resort.
The collection is built to be both fashionable and functional, with the footwear being crafted with the cold weather in mind. The collection includes two colorways of the Vans Sk8-Hi Reissue Platform VLT LX in pink and tan with quilted quarter panels, as well as two colorways of the Vans Slip-Hiker LX, which include a quilted upper and an all-weather outsole. Alongside the footwear is an apparel collection, which includes a range of winter wear including a balaclava, coats, and a quilt.
The Vault by Vans x Joe Freshgoods “Chocolate Valley Resort” Collection releases on January 21 via joefreshgoods.com and in stores at Every Now and Then.
