Lil Uzi Vert’s affinity for Vans takes the lead in the long-ubiquitous brand’s latest campaign.
As Uzi told Complex in an exclusive conversation about Vans’ newest Premium Old Skool campaign, which finds the Eternal Atake 2 artist working with @rayscorruptedmind, their key inspiration when it comes to frequently headlined sartorial choices is simple: “I wear anything I want.” Crucial to Uzi’s style, they added, is the influence of “anybody that was around in the 80s.”
The origin of Vans, of course, extends back a good bit further than that, with the VF Corporation-owned brand soon set to celebrate its 60th anniversary.
For Uzi and many others, the Vans name became a fixture thanks to its longstanding close association with punk rock and skateboarding, two elements that are still prevalent in Uzi’s artistry to this day. The Pack’s “Vans” song was also instrumental in Uzi being drawn to the brand.
Below, see more of Uzi’s exclusive Complex conversation. The Premium Old Skool in black and white and the Old Skool in true white are both available to shop now at select Vans retail locations and via the official Vans site.
COMPLEX: What inspires you to dress the way you do?
Uzi: I wear anything I want.
Were there any early style icons or subcultures that shaped how you dress now?
Anybody that was around in the 80s.
How do you stay authentic in both your style and your music?
I just do what everybody tells me not to, and it works out somehow.
Do you have any memories of wearing Vans growing up?
I got my first pair of Vans because of The Pack. Honestly, they had the ‘Vans’ song and it was up after that.
If you could turn one of your songs into a Vans shoe, what would it look or feel like? What materials would you use?
I would turn ‘Cartier Nails,’ an unreleased song, into some Vans Half Cabs. It’s just some rager type stuff.
You play with gender, silhouettes, and sound—do you think taking risks in fashion pushes you to go further in music, or the other way around?
It’s all hand in hand. One isn’t more important than the other. Just like us, we all serve a purpose on the Earth, so don’t judge music or fashion if you don’t fit in it.
Is there an outfit you’ve always wanted to wear but haven’t yet? What’s holding you back?
I wanna wear my pajamas somewhere very important. Nothing is stopping me, it’s just I gotta win first.
Uzi’s Eternal Atake sequel debuted at No. 3 upon its arrival last November. Ahead of the album’s release, which came just over four years after the original Eternal Atake, Complex took a closer look at the influence of Heaven’s Gate on both EA albums. The process behind the piece, available in full here, ultimately grew to include a conversation with two anonymous individuals who described themselves as former Heaven’s Gate members in charge of the group’s intellectual property.
More recently, Uzi was among those enlisted for Playboi Carti’s long-awaited Music album.
