Both the British design house Vivienne Westwood and the London skate brand Palace are known for their distinct and disruptive approach to fashion. Now the two are combining their rebellious forces as they team up on capsule collection.
Launching on 6 September, the collection includes clothing, jewellery, accessories and skateboards. A statement describes the collaboration between the two houses as “born from the subversive and political spirit shared by both” and “built upon respective house codes, with culture and humour at the heart of the designs”.
The anti-establishment designer died in 2022 aged 81 and the brand is now helmed by her husband, designer Andreas Kronthaler. Palace was co-founded in London in 2009 by Lev Tanju and Gareth Skewis and has quickly grown from an underground skate brand to a global streetwear giant.
Drawing heavily on pop culture references, previous slightly leftfield collaborations have included Ralph Lauren, Crocs and Wedgwood. Although its designs are worn regularly by men and women including celebrities such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa, it is technically a menswear brand. The Westwood collaboration that includes miniskirts and micro pants marks the first time it has produced dedicated womenswear pieces.
“Collaborating with Vivienne Westwood, it’s a massive thing for us: we love them, and we always have,” Tanju said in a statement. “To bring this collection to life was a dream come true and we wanted to shoot the collection in London, our shared home. Palace is independent, Vivienne Westwood is independent, and we admire independence.”
For the joint collection both brands’ distinct logos have been merged. Palace is known for its triangular logo known as a Tri-Ferg while Westwood’s orb references royal insignia including griffins and a cross. For the collaboration a new amalgamated logo can be found on T-shirts and peppered across denim jackets and matching jeans.
The collection draws heavily from Westwood’s vast archives. A print first used by Westwood in her spring/summer 1992 collection that features a French salon scene including images of 20th-century gold frame chairs, marble plinths and glimmering chandeliers has been reimagined on an oversized Gore-Tex hooded jacket, baggy track pants and a silk midi skirt.
There are also corsets, a design signature of Westwood, who first revived the garment in 1987, transforming them from a repressive Victorian undergarment to a provocative tool and pioneering the idea of underwear as outerwear. This time around they include cropped versions in black and gold satin featuring a photograph of Tanju’s dog Stuart. Another riffs on a classic ribbed white vest.
Oversized teddy bear bags in green plaid that can be worn as backpacks hark back to one of Westwood’s earliest collections, Pagan 1 spring/summer 1988, which featured bear motifs inspired by a stuffed toy Westwood had found on the street. There is also bear iconography on shirts and mini teddy bear keyrings attached to low slung belts. A knitted beanie features “horns”, another design signature of Westwood, while tartan, on of her favourite fabrics, has been used to make everything from berets to knickers.
Kronthaler described the experience of working with Palace as “a very playful exercise”.
Palace’s Skewis added: “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.”
