Palace links with Vivienne Westwood for first-ever collab

Friday will see the launch of a hotly anticipated collab as two influential British names — Vivienne Westwood and skate brand Palace — launch their first joint collection. It includes clothing, accessories, jewellery and skateboards and “is built upon respective house codes, with culture and humour at the heart of the designs”.

The offer features “tradition and historical references” on sportswear with repeat logos and technical fabrics. Think some of the most popular archive designs.

For instance, the Vivienne Westwood ‘Salon’ print first seen in the SS92 collection of the same name is seen here in Gore-Tex on a hooded jacket, track pants and skirt.

We also get more imagery and prints from the Westwood archives added to hoodies and T-shirts.

Meanwhile, logomania is to the fore with the Palace triangle logo and the Vivienne Westwood orb. There are repeat logos printed across matching denim sets, a mini skirt and a flight suit.

And as that skirt suggests, in a first for Palace, we have womenswear. The Vivienne Westwood classic corset is reproduced and updated in black and white satin featuring a print of Palace founder Lev Tanju’s dog Stuart. And a more informal ribbed cotton corset vest also appears in black or white. There’s also a fitted leopard knit zip-up hoodie and track pants.

Accessories are in the mix with oversized teddy bear bags inspired by Westwood’s ‘90s iconography. A beanie features Westwood ‘horns’, alongside trucker caps and tartan Gore-Tex berets. Long printed socks, orb necklaces, studded small leather goods and skateboards complete the offering.

The supporting campaign was shot by Shoichi Aoki, the founder of Japanese street-style magazine Fruits, who “depicts the collision between fashion and the street; his documentation of the characters he encountered in Tokyo proved a precursor to street style imagery”.

In addition to this, the campaign will be collated into a limited-edition zine, available free with purchase in-store.

Palace co-founder Gareth Skewis said: “Working with Andreas Kronthaler and the entire Vivienne Westwood team has been an incredible experience. Vivienne Westwood has long been a massive inspiration to me, particularly through the brand’s ever-evolving creative output.

“We are immensely proud to have collaborated with such an iconic British brand. This collection is a true reflection of our shared values and influences, bringing together two distinct perspectives united by a common ground of independent thought, all with a uniquely London twist.” 

The collection will be available from 11am BST on 6 September at Palace and Vivienne Westwood flagship stores globally, and Dover Street Market in London, LA and Tokyo.