In one of the most surprising partnerships of the year, Italian fashion house Valentino has teamed up with American skate brand Vans to launch its first sneaker collection. Sighted last March at Alessandro Michele's AW25 show, the models have now been officially unveiled: a bold encounter between luxury and streetwear.

An iconic sneaker revisited

The collaboration is based on the Vans Authentic, a cult silhouette launched in 1966.
The collection is available in six colors for men and women:

A model emblazoned with the slogan "I ❤︎ Vans",
Several variations on the famous Vans checkerboard,
And the centerpiece: a pair adorned with Valentino's "Le Chat de la Maison" motif, covered in cats, a nod to Michele's eccentric style.

This fusion of codes illustrates the evolution of luxury brands, which seek to appeal to a new generation by reinventing the basics.

A campaign generated by artificial intelligence

But the real novelty isn't just in the shoes. To accompany the release, Valentino has published a campaign created... entirely with AI.

"The film and campaign images were generated by artificial intelligence, from original visual material captured during the Valentino Le Méta-Théâtre Des Intimitésfashion show," the house said.
"All images were used with the informed consent of the models and talent involved."

This is the first time Valentino has used generative AI for a campaign, and it raises some exciting questions:

Can AI redefine the visual storytelling of major brands?
How can we combine innovation and ethics (in this case, through the explicit consent of models)?
Will AI become a standard for luxury digital campaigns?

Valentino, Vans and AI: a signal for the industry

This collaboration demonstrates two key trends:

The mix of worlds - luxury and streetwear, heritage codes and pop culture.
The gradual integration of AI - no longer just in R&D studios, but directly in the official campaigns of fashion houses.

At Artcare, an R&D studio agency specializing in AI virtual mannequins and AI e-commerce fashion solutions, we see this choice as a strong sign. Major brands are no longer content to test AI behind the scenes: they are now embracing it in their public communications, paving the way for mass adoption.

AI virtual mannequins: the future of campaigns

Valentino's use of AI highlights benefits we've long championed:

Unlimited creativity: create unique visual worlds from existing materials.
Speed and flexibility: produce several versions of a campaign in just a few hours.
Ethics and transparency: integrating AI while respecting human talent.
Immersive experiences: imagining tomorrow's interactive campaigns, combined with virtual try it on.

Conclusion: a new era for AI fashion

The Valentino Garavani x Vans collection is not just an unexpected sneaker capsule. It's also the symbol of a turning point: luxury is embracing AI not only as a creative tool, but also as a visible and assertive element of its image.

At Artcare, we are already supporting brands in this transformation with our AI virtual mannequins and our AI e-commerce fashion solutions.

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Valentino x Vans: A 100% AI advertising campaign