Vans is installing a skate ramp at Paris' Sacré-Coeur.
Vans is taking over the Sacre Coeur in Paris
The iconic shoe brand is looking to make a statement at Paris Fashion Week with a host of events combining skateboarding and culture, and a big part of those plans involves the basilica in the City of Love's Montmartre district.
On Friday (21.06.24), the company is celebrating the Fête de la Musique and Go Skateboarding Day with a live skating demonstration along with performances by French and international acts.
They will build a skateable installation for OTW (Off the Wall) by Vans, using concrete wood and foam to create the pop-up skatepark.
Drieke Leenknegt, global chief marketing officer of Vans, said: "Using this moment in time to build these unique experiences, storytelling that is meaningfully disruptive, is really what makes the difference, and it’s really what is transforming our brand into the future."
She added: "They took the inspiration of the marble that is inside and then used it to build the skateable art form that will be front and center in front of the Sacré-Coeur."
It has been a logistical battle thanks to areas of the city blocked off to traffic as construction starts on key sites for the PAris 2024 Olympic Games.
However, Leenknegt admitted the challenges made it the "most exciting" prospect, and one at the heart of the brand's ethos, which she compared to a skater.
She said: "It’s always hard to create new space but at the same time, it’s also the most exciting to do that.
“When you do an ‘off the wall,’ when you’re up in the air, you don’t know if you’re going to land safely. So the attitude, which is also the attitude of young people, is pretty determined."