Born from the subversive and political spirit shared by both the British design house, Vivienne Westwood and British Skate brand, PALACE, their first collection, featuring clothing, accessories, jewellery and skateboards, is built upon respective house codes, with culture and humour at the heart of the designs.
Drawing heavily from Westwood’s extensive archives, the collection reimagines classic designs. A print from Westwood’s spring/summer 1992 collection, depicting a French salon scene with 20th-century gold chairs, plinths, and chandeliers, has been revived on an oversized Gore-Tex hooded jacket, loose-fitting track pants, and a silk midi skirt.
A first for PALACE, womenswear features in the collection + the collection also features corsets, a signature Westwood design. Westwood famously reinterpreted the corset in 1987, transforming it from a restrictive Victorian undergarment into a bold statement piece, pioneering the concept of underwear as outerwear. In this collaboration, the corsets include cropped versions in black and gold satin, adorned with a photograph of Tanju’s dog, Stuart. Another design plays on the classic ribbed white vest.
The union between the two brands is also visible in the logo, characterized by the Triangle symbol of PALACE and the globe symbol of Vivienne Westwood, with the "Salon" print from Vivienne Westwood's Spring/Summer 1992 collection reimagined on jackets, tracksuit pants, and GORE-TEX skirts. The collection ranges from tartan applied to hats, pants, and jackets with bondage details to Victorian-inspired corsets, moving to more streetwear silhouettes like bombers, GORE-TEX suits, and printed T-shirts. Completing the collection are a teddy bear-shaped backpack bag, belts, wallets, and a line of jewelry.
Lev Tanju - Palace Co-Fouder, expressed the significance of the collaboration in a statement: “Working with Vivienne Westwood is monumental for us. We’ve always admired them deeply, and this partnership is a dream realized. We were determined to shoot the collection in London, the city that’s home to both of us. Palace and Vivienne Westwood share a common trait: independence, and it’s something we greatly respect.”
"From the first day I went to Palace years ago, I liked what they are doing. Their designs are made with quality, they are accessible and democratic. It felt natural for us to join forces; it was a very playful exercise, and it was a pleasure working with the team and making new friends." Andreas Kronthaler – Creative Director, Vivienne Westwood.
The campaign was shot by the irreverent photographer Shoichi Aoki and founder of the Japanese street style magazine FRUITS. Shoichi photographed on the streets of London, following the principles of FRUITS: from the arcades of Soho to Chinatown, passing through a vintage store in Camden and a souvenir shop near Shaftesbury Avenue; a tribute to the city's underground culture.
The protagonists of the lookbook representing the collection are American rappers Sematary and Matt OX, as well as Sibyl Buck, Ed Teller, Issa Lish, Palace rider Lucien Clarke, and DJ/singer Josh Café, among others.
