By Thobile Mazibuko 
9m ago
American painter, surfer and skateboarder and musician Chris Johanson has partnered with Vans to release a collection that shares a vision of respecting Mother Earth.
In this collection, Johanson emphasises a shared vision for sustainability.
He utilises organically-grown cotton from non-genetically modified seed with no synthetic pesticides. He also uses an eco-rubber compound made from responsibly sourced natural rubber instead of petroleum-derived synthetic rubber.
Johanson combined urban graffiti themes with text and cartoon images to create a colourful collection of shirts, shorts, and dope sneakers.
His swirl pattern also makes an appearance on the Authentic SF.
The Authentic SF contains less than 1% by outsole weight of material scraps from the factory cutting floor chopped up and inserted into the outsoles, ultimately diverting these materials from a landfill.
About the collection, he said: “The collection’s apparel begins with the Johanson Swirl Boardshort, crafted with 10% Elastane four-way stretch recycled polyester and featuring the same unique swirl pattern and an antique white waistband and pocket closure.
A variety of Johanson-illustrated tees round out the offering, along with a floral woven shirt made of 80% organic cotton, a bag, a snapback hat, and a fleece pullover hoodie in vintage black with a hand-drawn smiley face and a reminder to ‘Be Cool to Your Living World’.”
Johanson achieved international fame after participating in the 2002 Whitney Biennial exhibition. The following year, he won the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s SECA Art Award.