Little Simz epitomises effortless personal style in the latest Vans Premium Old Skool campaign

Vans have long been the sneaker of choice for tastemakers and renegades. This rings especially true for the Old Skool, the checkered icon-status sneaker designed for skaters and adopted by vanguards across creative industries, most of all music. It’s fitting, then, that the latest campaign for the Premium Old Skool Music Collection would feature of-the-moment British rapper Little Simz. Appearing alongside Vans EMEA skater Helena Long, the campaign epitomises embracing personal style and a devil-may-care attitude; adapting the Old Skool to one’s singular aesthetic to create a look all your own.

The campaign finds Little Simz in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she headlined a raucous House of Vans show. Captured by close collaborator Fenn O’Meally, Little Simz pairs her Old Skool Checkerboard Vans with a puffy cropped leather bomber and pinstriped tailored skirt – the checker print on her scarf and gloves mirroring her sneakers. Elsewhere, she pairs the sneakers with relaxed jean shorts and pulled-up socks. It’s hardly the first time the artist has seamlessly adapted Vans to her looks both on and off stage; she’s been a Vans ambassador since 2023, even releasing her own custom slip-on with the brand.

Though the Vans Old Skool has never lost its relevance, as its name suggests it’s been in the game for a while. Introduced in 1977, it was designed by and for skaters. The updated Premium Old Skool, meanwhile, finds the classic sneaker in more decadent materials and considered details, merging a more cushioned fit with throwback '90s touches. In the case of Little Simz, it becomes the perfect sneaker for jumping about onstage to a packed crowd or lounging backstage in the green room. For campaign co-star Helena Long, it remains a sneaker that can meet the demands of a long skate session through Johannesburg.

The classic Checkerboard Old Skools worn by Little Simz mark the second drop in the Premium Old Skool Music Collection, with each drop encapsulating an iconic era in music (the checkered sneakers, which released alongside a flame-printed colourway, nod to the Warped Tour and early Y2K extravagance). The first drop, released back in January, offered a daring leopard print iteration, inspired by the punk and hardcore movements of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Still to come are a handful of vibrant solid colourways that point to the underground hip-hop scene, who wholeheartedly embrace the classic sneaker. Taken as a whole, the collection offers a sneaker to suit any mood or aesthetic, not to mention any music genre.

Seeing Little Simz take the stage in her checkered Old Skools is to see the sneaker’s storied past mash up with a moment – and a look – that’s impossibly current. Indelible proof that this is a sneaker that will continue making noise for generations to come.