The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Vans confirmed the news Friday, May 7. Van Doren, along with brother James Van Doren and business partners Gordon Lee and Serge Delia, started the Van Doren Rubber Company in 1966 in Anaheim, California. The brand’s rubber-soled canvas sneakers fast became an enduring part of skate culture and style. Van Doren sold Vans in 1988. The company went public in 1991 and was acquired by VF Corp in 2004.
“Paul was not just an entrepreneur; he was an innovator,” the brand said in a statement. “Paul’s bold experiments in product design, distribution, and marketing, along with his knack for numbers, and a genius for efficiency turned Paul’s family shoe business into an all-American success story.”
The rental platform saw its stock soar last week after predicting it would hit a key profitability metric this year. A new marketing push and more robust inventory are the key to unlocking elusive growth, CEO Jenn Hyman tells BoF.
Nordstrom, Tod’s and L’Occitane are all pushing for privatisation. Ultimately, their fate will not be determined by whether they are under the scrutiny of public investors.
The company is in talks with potential investors after filing for insolvency in Europe and closing its US stores. Insiders say efforts to restore the brand to its 1980s heyday clashed with its owners’ desire to quickly juice sales in order to attract a buyer.
The humble trainer, once the reserve of football fans, Britpop kids and the odd skateboarder, has become as ubiquitous as battered Converse All Stars in the 00s indie sleaze years.