How did the Checkered Future: Frequency Manifest of OTW by Vans go?

At the beginning of Milan Design Week 2025, last Tuesday, April 8, Vans presented the new Old Skool 36 FM from the OTW line with the installation “CHECKERED FUTURE: FREQUENCY MANIFEST”, conceived by creative director Willo Perron and accompanied by atmospheric sound design by Tim Hecker. The event, hosted at the Triennale di Milano, offered an immersive experience into the deep connection between design, music, and contemporary culture, underlining Vans’ ambition to position itself as a key player in the global cultural landscape beyond the boundaries of skateboarding. Among the evening's highlights, Björk's performance captured the audience’s attention for over an hour. After more than two years away from Italian stages, the Icelandic artist returned with a DJ set that blended electronic research, ambient textures, and visual tension. Her presence gave the event an almost ceremonial tone, amplified by the setting: the monumental Triennale balcony transformed into a sculptural stage overlooking the garden, framed by mirrored panels and lit by dynamic projections. Alongside her, British producer Vegyn — known for his collaborations with Frank Ocean — offered an introspective and experimental music selection, while Milan's own Evissimax opened the night with a set rich in glitch and deconstructed rhythms, effectively representing the Italian electronic underground. Together, the three performances built a layered soundscape consistent with the installation's visual narrative.

“CHECKERED FUTURE: FREQUENCY MANIFEST” visually translated intangible concepts such as waves, frequencies, and vibrations through a staging structure made of mirrors, pulsating lights, and monumental geometries. The checkerboard pattern, a recurring Vans symbol, was transformed into an architectural device that redefined space and multiplied perspectives, creating a direct connection between the brand’s iconic past and imagined future. The Old Skool 36 FM, the event’s protagonist, was introduced as the first release from the OTW “Future Make” series. Far from being a simple nostalgic reissue, the sneaker presents a radical reinterpretation of the Old Skool model (originally Style 36), pushing forward in terms of technical research and material innovation. Its componentized cupsole construction, 3D engineered-knit upper, and new 3D-printed TPU sidestripe represent a concrete design evolution, aimed at a public seeking both aesthetics and performance. Completing the package are the proprietary Sola Foam ADC insole and EVA Strobel construction, ensuring lightness, comfort, and responsiveness. The Milan activation is part of a broader strategy already tested globally: from the skate installation under the Sacré Coeur in Paris in June 2024, to the collaboration with Sterling Ruby and his S.R.STUDIO.LA.CA. project for Frieze Los Angeles, up to the OTW line’s debut on the Seine during Paris Men’s Fashion Week in 2023. Different projects, yet united by a single vision: to narrate the future of creativity through hybrid and immersive forms.

Offered in Marshmallow and Black colorways, the Old Skool 36 FM will be available starting April 11, 2025.