New Jersey’s John P. Stevens High School wins the 2016 Vans Custom Culture competition - Los Angeles Times
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New Jersey’s John P. Stevens High School wins the 2016 Vans Custom Culture competition

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A team of high school students from Edison, N.J., won a $50,000 donation to their school’s arts education program from the Vans action sports brand thanks to a series of food-themed footwear designs that included burgers, fries and a milkshake in a shoe.

The John P. Stevens High School team was awarded the grand prize for its New Jersey diner-inspired designs at a downtown Los Angeles art gallery Wednesday night after a panel of judges -- which just so happened to include L.A. chefs-of-the-moment John Shook and Vinny Dotolo – picked them as the winners of the annual Vans Custom Culture competition from a field of five finalists ultimately winnowed down more than 2,400 submissions from across the country.

The rest of the finalists -- Eastern High School (Louisville, Ky.), Moanalua High School (Honolulu, Hawaii), Orange High School (Orange, Calif.) and Sandy High School (Sandy, Ore.) – each received a $4,000 donation to their respective arts programs from the Cypress-based footwear and apparel maker. SoCal’s Orange High was named the runner-up, and Moanalua High received a $15,000 “local attitude†award (courtesy of retail partner Journeys) for a design that best captured the notion of “local flavor.â€

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The team from John P. Stevens High School hoists its oversized grand-prize check at the June 8 event in downtown L.A.
The team from John P. Stevens High School hoists its oversized grand-prize check at the June 8 event in downtown L.A.
(Jordan Strauss / Invision )

In addition to taking home an oversized $50,000 check, the John J. Stevens team has the opportunity to see one of their delicious-looking designs actually produced and sold to the general public.

If you ask us, that gives the concept of “dine and dash†a whole new meaning.

For more musings on all things fashion and style, follow me @ARTschorn.

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