TRIPLE THREAT: British cult streetwear label Palace has teamed up with Italian sportswear brand Kappa to work on a capsule collection for the BWT Alpine Formula One Team.
This collaboration include a one-off racing A523 car livery designed by Palace for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which is due to take place on Sunday, official suits for BWT Alpine F1 Team drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, as well as the BWT Alpine F1 Team kit to be worn in Las Vegas.
An apparel capsule collection inspired by the racing team — which includes a pit jacket, a rain jacket, body warmers, pit shorts, polos, hoodies and T-shirts as well as caps made by Alpine’s headwear partner New Era — will be also be offered at a pop-up in Las Vegas at the Venetian hotel from Thursday. It will then be available globally at Palace’s own retail network from the next day.
The capsule is accompanied with a electrifying campaign by director Femi Ladi. The video version of the campaign follows a Formula 1 driver as he wakes in a Las Vegas hotel room and rushes for the starting grid of the Vegas Grand Prix, and features cameos from Palace riders such as Charlie Birch, Danny Brady, Kanin Garner, Jahmir Brown and Charlie Young.
“We are so hyped to be kitting out BWT Alpine F1 Team’s car, drivers and pit crew for the Las Vegas Grand Prix: a street race at night in one of the most mental and beautiful places on Earth,” said a spokesperson from Palace.
David Gendry, vice president of sponsoring, partnerships and communications at Alpine noted that it marks the first time Alpine worked on “such a co-project where trendy fashion meets sports brands so perfectly.”
“The creative process and exchanges these past few months have been incredible and it is with great pride that we unveil a unique livery for the A523, inspired by the desert that surrounds Las Vegas. The team will also proudly wear the Palace Kappa for Alpine team kit this weekend,” he added.
Lorenzo Boglione, vice president of BasicNet Group, the parent company of Kappa, Superga and Sebago, added that this collaboration was born from the union of two very important partners: Alpine, of which Kappa has been the technical sponsor since the beginning of 2022, and Palace, which joins Kappa for the second time in just two years.
“The result is a fusion of sport and street style, celebrating the very DNA of our brand and our respective partners, creating a connection between two worlds that increasingly blends with each other,” he added.
BWT Alpine F1 Team made its debut at the start of the 2021 Formula One World Championship after it was renamed from the Renault F1 Team. The team finished fourth in the 2022 Constructors’ Championship.
The brand Alpine was founded in 1955 by Jean Rédélé, and is has been positioned as an high-end offering from the French automotive company Groupe Renault since 2021.