MILAN — Steetwear fans can rejoice: Milan’s arty Brera district is welcoming yet another player in that league as Vans is relocating its flagship to Corso Garibaldi.
In recent years the neighborhood has become a streetwear district of sorts with the openings of Supreme, Stussy and Salomon, among others.
Now the footwear brand rooted in the West Coast’s skateboarding culture and part of VF Corp.’s stable is adding to the shopping experience in the area.
Vans‘ 1,291-square-foot store over two stories was designed by Milan-based architecture firm Andrea Caputo Studio. Imbued with Milanese design elements, it follows the brand’s latest retail blueprint, which already debuted at the London West End flagship.
Defined by a warm palette that includes sunset-inspired hues, the store features a modular layout, allowing rearrangements as needed. The ground floor serves as the main shopping floor, whereas the mezzanine level is to be used for community events and activations.
The newly opened Vans Brera flagship in Milan.
Courtesy of Vans
Vans’ former flagship, opened in 2008 and now closed, was located in the Navigli district. The brand has a dedicated space inside Orefici 11, VF’s multibrand concept unveiled in 2020.
“Vans Brera is about expressing the brand in its full dimension…we wanted to create a space where we can fully connect with our community, showcase our point of view, and build a platform for experiences, not just access of product,” Andreas Olsson, vice president and general manager Europe, Middle East and Africa at Vans, told WWD. “It’s about complementing our presence in the city, not duplicating it,” he added in reference to Orefici 11.
“Brera represents a different expression of Milan, one that sits at the intersection of design, creativity and cultural influence, which aligns very naturally with where Vans is today. Corso Garibaldi is evolving into a destination for like-minded brands and communities, which makes it a highly relevant environment for us to be part of,” the executive explained.
In addition to Vans’ core offering of footwear and apparel, the Brera store is to carry a selection of pieces exclusive to the location, including skate decks featuring Milan-inspired graphics and motifs.
In sync with the trend for highly curated shopping destinations, Vans linked up with local partner brands to offer a selection of products, including jewelry label Nove25 and fragrance house Rhizome. Other collaborations featured at the flagship include Rough Trade for vinyls, Classic Paris for books and magazines, as well as Love N Skate for all things skateboarding.
Olsson said the concept aligns with the store’s value proposition.
“Vans Brera is designed as a platform for cultural exchange, not a traditional monobrand retail space. Our brand has always been about the people — our communities, the crews, the creators and artists who move our culture forward,” the executive explained.
“By bringing in local partners…we are creating a more dynamic and authentic environment that reflects the creative energy of Milan.…These collaborations allow us to stay connected to the local scene, add new layers of curation for our consumers, and create a platform for brands we think represent something interesting and share our ‘Off the Wall’ mindset,” he said.
The newly opened Vans Brera flagship in Milan.
Courtesy of Vans
The store opening reflects the importance Italy holds for Vans’ business and positioning in the EMEA region.
“It’s one of the most important markets in the region, both from a business and a cultural standpoint. It has a strong connection to fashion, design and youth culture, and cities like Milan play a key role in shaping broader trends across the region. Beyond its size, Italy is a market where the brand has real cultural relevance, which makes it strategically significant for our long-term growth,” Olsson said.
The VF executive characterized the opening as a jigsaw piece of his bigger ambitions for the region.
“Across EMEA, the focus is on three priorities: building a healthy and scalable wholesale business that qualitatively represents the brand’s direction; evolving our DTC expression, which this new store is a great example of, and elevating and evolving the brand expression through reclaiming ‘Off the Wall’ to set that unique positioning in the marketplace,” he said.
Asked about other openings in the region by year-end, Olsson said the “current focus is on elevating the quality of our retail experience, rather than simply expanding footprint. Openings like Vans Brera are very deliberate — they are about creating the right spaces in the right locations, with a strong cultural purpose behind them. We will continue to invest in key cities where we see the opportunity to build meaningful connections with our communities.”
Vans remains a particular area of focus for VF globally. In fiscal 2025, ended March 28, Vans sales were down 11 percent in constant currencies to $2.1 billion, but the trendline is getting better, VF’s president and chief executive officer Bracken Darrell told WWD in May.
Vans’ constant currency sales for the fourth quarter were down 5 percent to $486.6 million, while the group’s overall revenues were up 1 percent, to $2.2 billion, in the three months ended March 28.
Group revenues in fiscal 2025 were up to $9.6 billion, from $9.5 billion. Net profits totaled $254 million while the operating margin expanded 280 basis points to 6 percent.
