The January 20 Louis Vuitton's Fall 2026 Menswear show didn't just present designer Pharrell Williams's 80-look line. Vans artistic director SZA used her front-row seat to spotlight custom, gemstone-coated sneakers.
Marking her first fashion show since 2022, SZA arrived at Paris Men's Fashion Week wearing almost head-to-toe Louis Vuitton (minus her bespoke Vans). First, stylist Briana Andalore dressed her in an oversize white button-down, layered beneath a brown leather coat. Utilizing the French tuck technique (how fitting), the Grammy winner paired the top with gray pinstripe trousers. Its vertical stripes complemented her Louis Vuitton Speedy Bag, which debuted in Williams's Spring 2026 Men's show. SZA carried it by the two top handles, while the crossbody strap grazed her legs.
It's a SZA staple to cover her footwear with extra-oversize pants. But this time, LaPilusa tailored them just enough to spotlight her Vans sneakers. Using the Authentic 44 model as her foundation, New York-based jeweler Rachel Goatley personalized a 1-of-1 pair with botanical gemstones.
Flower, ladybug, and leaf charms made of sapphires, topaz, opal, citrine, malachite, and diamonds earned the Vans their "Ladybug Garden" name. Zoom in to appreciate the "VanSZA" logo atop the white laces. The low-profile sneakers usually retail for $55, but Goatley's crystals likely elevated them to four-figure status.
According to Vans, Goatley decorated four additional pairs for SZA to wear throughout Paris Men's Fashion Week. Meet "Enchanted Forest," "Camo/Earth," "Radiance," and "Temperature CTRL," which seem to stock her first full footwear collection as Vans artistic director. The collaboration expands onto the Old Skool sneakers, another "classic Vans silhouette" designed "specifically for Paris Fashion Week."
On Jan. 21, SZA returned to the front row for Dior, but Goatley's Vans were noticeably absent. They traded places with Jonathan Anderson's Mary Jane hybrid—the same shoes worn by brand ambassador Jennifer Lawrence at the womenswear Spring 2026 show last September.
SZA's front-row sneakers needed barely any time to catch insiders' eyes. Perth-based fashion content creator and stylist Kim Russell called SZA's Vans "very chef's kiss" on Instagram, especially "at one of the biggest male-centered shows in Paris." What's more, "working with Rachel diversifies the creative opportunities in shoe making, because of her jewelry background," she wrote. "There's a gap in fashion to show how it can be tastefully done without going full GAUD."
SZA's Vans aren't publicly shoppable yet, but her presence introduced sneakerheads to the most DIY-able trainer trend yet. Bedazzle your Vans the SZA way now, then treat yourself to the real deal whenever Goatley's designs hit the market.
