Drummer Brendan Canty has known as out the ‘Vans and Fugazi‘ collaboration as “tone deaf”, and the footwear firm has issued an apology for deceptive the band’s followers.
The footwear model lately introduced a brand new “Vans and Fugazi” collaboration of trainers, which was a partnership between Vans and a luxurious streetwear model primarily based in Los Angeles – not the post-hardcore band.
At first, it wasn’t clear to some followers that it wasn’t a partnership with the notoriously anti-consumerist group – resulting in some being misled into pondering it was a collaboration with the band.
“Think about pondering you landed a Fugazi collab solely to find it’s a totally totally different Fugazi,” one individual wrote on X/Twitter, whereas one other added: “I bought actually excited for a second”.
“I knew it was too good to be true since they by no means launched merch to begin with,” somebody added on Instagram, and one other individual wrote: “Little too late. This was fully avoidable”.
To handle the confusion, Fugazi’s label, Dischord Data – which was co-founded by the band’s personal Ian MacKaye – confirmed that they aren’t working with the footwear firm.
Think about pondering you landed a Fugazi collab solely to find it’s a totally totally different Fugazi 😭
— The Analyst (@Jerry566f) June 25, 2026
I bought actually excited for a second 🥺
— ANTI AI GHOST OF EM ALL (@CaspaGoth) July 6, 2026
“I’m guessing somebody from Vans will attain out to us,” they wrote. “We’ve got nothing to do with this to be clear.”
Now, following the mishap, Vans have taken down the preliminary submit and issued an apology to followers who have been misled.
“Sorry for any confusion this previous week. Fugazi the Band and Fugazi the clothes Model usually are not related,” mentioned Steve Van Doren, VP of promoting and occasions for Vans. “I’ve deep respect for Ian MacKaye, his impression on music and his connection to Skateboarding.
“We spoke this morning and are methods to assist longtime skate boarders and giving again to the communities we each care deeply about.”
Forward of the Vans apology, drummer Brendan Canty spoke to Consequence about the entire ordeal and known as it “tone deaf.”
“There’s this fucking horrendous style firm known as Fugazi that’s been round for years, I assume. I observed them up in New York at one level,” he advised the outlet. “Now, there was Fugazis all through time… and finally it was an acronym that meant ‘Fucked up, bought ambushed, zipped in.’ It was a Vietnam Battle period acronym.”
“So, I imply, it’s been round. I don’t begrudge anyone utilizing it,” he added, earlier than explaining how he was extra upset by the seemingly “vindictive” nature of the marketing campaign in opposition to the band.
“The fucking means that the man held up the ‘Fugazi’ registered trademark, the man from Vans, and the way in which that he was like, ‘Ha ha, we’ve bought it’. I couldn’t work out why he was performing vindictively in opposition to us,” the drummer continued. “It appeared prefer it was focused in direction of us, and [we] sort of fucking felt like a company fucking mule.
“In fact the Vans guys know who Fugazi is. It’s mystifying, and it simply appears silly for them to do one thing [like that]. I used to be damage by it, actually. I used to be like, ‘Why is Vans doing this?’ I assumed they have been sort of like on the aspect of the angels, ? However I assume not.”
Fugazi the band’s Brendan Canty on Vans’ collaboration with Fugazi the style model: “It is so tone deaf” https://t.co/r5UXW0jJ4O pic.twitter.com/tbbJbLlodh
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) July 6, 2026
Canty concluded: “It’s so tone deaf. I’m confused by it and it looks as if persons are equally confused by it out on the planet, to the purpose the place [they’re] confused and disgusted by it.”
Fugazi have famously by no means put their names to any official band merchandise or executed any collaborations with any clothes corporations.
The band launched six studio albums inside their profession, with the ultimate LP being 2001’s ‘The Argument’. Fugazi went on an “indefinite hiatus” following the top of their 2002 UK tour, following three sold-out reveals at London’s O2 Discussion board in Kentish City.
In 2024, Canty opened up in regards to the potential of a reunion, revealing that there’s “all the time a lingering probability” of the band coming again collectively.
“It turns into much less and fewer doubtless, however there have been occasions all through the final 22 years that we’ve gotten collectively and performed for typically every week at a time, and we all the time see one another on the town, and we’re all the time engaged on different reissue tasks,” he shared.
“I imply, we’re simply in one another’s lives loads so, , it’s lower than me whether or not we get the band again collectively. If it was as much as me, we’d be on the market taking part in, however it’s not that simple.”
Since then, the band have dropped the recording classes from the ‘In On The Kill Taker’ album, and donated the proceeds to Letters Charity, a non-profit charity that helps households battling poverty.