幸运 : Circumstances are not always in your control. It may be a fact of life, but that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow. Uncertainty, especially in the cosmic sense of the word can be crippling. That’s why, for millennia, people have appealed to the unseen forces of fortune.
The unseen forces of physics, should they not shine their favor upon you, can be just as devastating as the hand of chance. To tackle gravity, momentum, centrifugal force, mass, friction, and all that other stuff that drove you nuts during your 11th grade finals, armed with only a skateboard and a pair of shoes is an activity that requires any and all good fortune that you can get.
龙: Readers of Western fairy tales may harbor images of the dragon as a fire-breathing scourge of simple village folk, but in Chinese culture, there isn’t a single greater sign of celestial favor to be found than the dragon.
Talented, successful, and otherwise extraordinary people have been commonly compared to dragons. That’s not just a colloquial figure of speech; Imperial robes were adorned with the yellow dragon that served as the symbol of official, dragon-approved authority.
The dragon is no passive symbol of good luck though. Dragons are wise, benevolent, powerful, and divine creatures. With wide reaching powers and responsibilities like ruling over weather and guarding heavenly palaces, dragons use their near limitless might to actively influence the universe around them.
红包 : Sometimes, when things are going your way, you don’t need all the power of the dragons to directly intervene on your behalf, but some extra best wishes couldn’t do any harm either.
The red envelope, or hóngbāo, the monetary gift given during Chinese New Year celebrations, and to mark other special occasions, is a traditional way to pass good luck blessings along.
Because, part of getting good fortune, is, in turn, giving good fortune.
同心: Vans Vault and Bodega enter the dragon, so to speak, with a new collaborative release that combines the extraordinary feats of the dragon with the pay it forward spirit of the hóngbāo.
The Vans Full Cab + Half-Cab, the signature shoes of the legendary Steve Caballero, are decked out in reptilian scales inspired by skateboarding’s very own flying dragon.
Chinese restaurant themed apparel, complete with take-out containers adds Bodega’s neighborhood spirit into the mix.
The hóngbāo included with every pair of shoes contain best wishes for everyone, but a few lucky recipients will get an extra windfall of good fortune.
Talent: its.javan / tjatoms / jahbulbatron / do0k_
Supporting Photography: Saliana Rosenfield
