Meet the LGBTQIA+ Vans Ambassadors of 2021: "I Hope Fashion Becomes Less Subjective to Gender"

Mich Miller (they/them) is an LA-based painter, printmaker, muralist, and installation artist who cofounded The Print Shop LA in 2018, a collaborative printmaking studio that hosts events and internships.

"I'm proud to partner with Vans during Pride Month because of the company's commitment to supporting diverse creative projects and queer artists directly. As a teen mall rat, I saw Vans as a mecca for young skateboarders, and it's been awesome to see how Vans has expanded on that to raise up creatives of all kinds. It's awesome to see a company like Vans investing money into awesome projects to share with the world instead of just spending all of that money on more traditional marketing and commercials."

"My favorite pair of Vans I own has to be the classic Old Skool Sk8-Hi in Black. They've been my go-to studio shoes for years, but they can also pair with something nice for a night out, even when covered in paint."

"When I think of fashion inclusivity, I think of clothes that have challenged and decentered binary and outdated ideas of gender, size, and so much more! An amazing example of someone committed to this is the designer Sky Cubacub of Rebirth Garments. As an artist, I'm so inspired by Rebirth Garments's sense of color and pattern. However, it's more so their mission statement and ability to empower all types of bodies that I can see making fashion really life changing."

Sam McGuire has worked as a queer advocate for the skateboarding community since 2014, helping to elevate unheard voices and working to get more trans visibility.

"Pride has become such a strange economy. It's like each company competes with one another to show how woke or how inclusive they are. The thing is though, for the rest of the year, a lot of companies don't do much to support the queer community. Vans talks the talk and walks the walk. Vans launches Pride initiatives, but it's authentic because the company also supports queer skaters, queer athletes, and queer creators year-round."

"My favorite pair at the moment are these rainbow Checkered Slip-Ons because I love a slip-on and it's Pride month, so obvz love a little rainbow moment."

"I'd love for the fashion industry to do away with genders altogether. Take shoes, for example. Europe uses just one number for size — it's not men's and women's. More and more clothing companies are adopting gender-free sizing in the US as well, and I just hope that becomes a standard. I just feel the whole sizing system could use some sort of overhaul. Hopefully, in 20 years, companies figure that out and figure out ways to mass produce clothes on a numerical/gender-free model and market them the same way."

Serena Isioma (they/she) is a 20-year-old, first generation Nigerian-American artist based out of Chicago who has already released their first two EPs in 2020 and is breaking barriers in the music industry.

"Vans has been like family. They let me do me, and that's why I love them."

"Definitely the Comfycush Slip-Ons. They look fancy, plus they add a little height."

"I hope fashion becomes less subjective to gender and more inclusive to all sizes."

Tyris Winter (he/him) is a multifaceted artist who blurs the lines between poetry, fashion, and dancing. He finds healing in his art, makes his own '70s-inspired clothing, and looks outward by aiming to uplift the many queer youth who are raised with binaries and confinements.

"I'm honored to partner with a company such as Vans for Pride. The entire team has gone above and beyond to ensure that I am valued and seen — which to me is the spirit of Pride: being able to be authentically me and to be appreciated for it."

"Honestly, Vans just released a Spongebob collab, and I've never felt more complete in my life to own the 'Best Buds' set with Spongebob and Patrick on them."

"It is my hope and vision that fashion will evolve more into a wholeheartedly expressive language that is no longer bound to a binary and/or confinement of gender."