House of Vans KL 2016 Recap

House of Vans KL was a day of skate, art and music. Here’s what went down at the event.

By Kim Hana
Photos by Arieff Arbain

: House of Vans KL 2016: Entrance

House of Vans KL, held March 19^th, at Slate @ The Row, explored the cultural pillars of the Vans brand. Skate, DIY workshops, art and music were part of the day’s agenda.

A highlight of the program was surely the skate competition, which took place at the back lane of the venue. Held over two hours, the top honor went to Azreen Azman, who walked away with RM2,000 in prize money. He won the competition by executing a crooked nollie halfcab flip.

Azreen told Straatosphere, “I’ve been skating for 13 years and have taken part in all of Vans’ past events, but this is the first time I’ve won first place. I’ll probably use the prize money to go on a skateboarding trip.”

House of Vans KL 2016 skate competition winner, Azreen Azman (middle), with his KL crew / Photo: Azam Saad

Art also played a large part in the day’s proceedings. Vans partnered Rantai, an arts event organizer, to present a gallery showcasing the work of local artists who have been influenced by skateboarding – @katun_, @donald_abraham, @punkenstein, and @art_tech. In addition, screenprinting workshops and DIY paper slip-on design sessions were open to public participation.

Upstairs, a mini exhibition showcased memorabilia from iconic moments that punctuate the brand’s history. One such key milestone being the discovery of the waffle sole, a reference to the vulcanized sole that forms the foundation of Vans footwear.

House of Vans KL offered an array of art workshops including screenprinting and DIY custom paper slip-ons

At sundown, Malaysian bands Misgive, The Fridays, and Killeur Calculateur, as well as international acts Ray Barbee & The Mattson 2 and John Cardiel took to the stage to put on a rousing performance.

The event, a House of Vans lite of sorts, gave Malaysians a sampler of what could be experienced at any of the two permanent House of Vans locations in New York and London.