Floral Vans

Floral Pattern Design

In 2013 I was assigned with making a line of floral designs for Vans. This was a great opportunity to mesh illustrative techniques with footwear design. I was able to receive valuable feedback and advice from the other designers in the Vans' Classics Team throughout the process. This project spanned a wide range of concepts. Some designs were subtle and modest, while others were loud, bold -- and everything in between.

Ideation

The first phase of the process was to gather reference imagery and sketch out various ideas. All of the floral patterns were initially sketched on pen and paper, and the strongest directions were painted in photoshop. They were then converted into seamless patterns to be used as canvas swatches for the shoes.

Pattern Implementation

Determining how to use the patterns was the biggest challenge. There was a lot to consider, and this was a medium I didn’t have much experience with. After warming up with a couple attempts, I started to better understand the balance of color, texture, and negative space required for appealing footwear applications.

Pattern Swatches

The slider below shows some floral patterns created during this project. Exploding roses, and using less conventional flowers like blood orchids were themes since early ideation. Coupling fine line-work with painterly florals added a layer of complexity that made these swatches unique.

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