Over the last few years a certain Skateboarding brand has been gaining attention in all the right places, Palace Skateboards has managed to build up what can only be described as a mystical aura; similar to the hype of which Supreme has generated over the years and in turn creating a hardcore, loyal following. And recently, the brand have further established their very credible credentials by collaborating with none other than, legendary sports and lifestyle brand, Adidas.
(Key pieces from their most recent collaboration with Adidas Originals.)
What started out as a group of skateboarders, led by skater Lev Tanj, just printing a few t-shirts and gifting them to fellow Skateboarders to wear, has now turned into a global brand with collaborations with sportswear giant Adidas Originals and Reebok under their belt within the first few years of the brand starting out. With the likes of ASAP Rocky, Jay-Z and Drake all religiously wearing their printed tees and jackets, the brand has rocketted recently not just within the UK but globally.
(A$AP Rocky x Palace/Adidas collaboration shirt)
The hype around the brand now is similar to that of Supreme, with a craze surrounding anything they put out being snapped up by not only the hardcore skate followers but also by a more stylish mainstream Fashion follower. To compound this a trend we have started to see creep into the more higher end Fashion circuit is taking elements of skate wear and adapt it to their ends. In recent seasons, the catwalks of fashion capitals have started to move swiftly away from the typical skinny trouser silhouette and shapes such as wide legged trousers and workwear shapes begiving to re-appear.
Fashion houses such as Alexander McQueen, Kenzo and Acne Studios have been drawing inspiration from Streetwear for years. With McQueen opting for trousers with a wider leg and at a cropped length similar to that of a skateboarders trouser.
The highly desirable Acne Studios have additionally been inspired by Skate wear, incorporating Wide Legged trousers into their Autumn Winter collection. As well as Coach jackets which are staple in the skate culture. They’ve taken key elements of culture that is currently popular such as Skate wear, and workwear silhouettes and added a touch of class and high end aesthetic.
I admit I’m quite tempted to buy something from them even though I’m not usually a big fan of that kind of brand. Their marketing is really powerful, which probably explains all the hype behind it.