The British skate brand Palace is releasing another drop of clothing and skate accessories this Friday, April 13, in stores and online. The lookbook has consisted of a predictable mix of its familiar logo, the Tri-Ferg, and its usual Nineties pop culture references. It is also influenced by athletic gear, but manages to look fashionable. I remember when I first saw Jonah Hill wearing Palace while hosting Saturday Night Live and really liking the aesthetic of the brand. It has gained a lot more momentum since celebrities like Drake, A$AP Rocky, Rihanna, Jay-Z, and Virgil Abloh have been seen donning their clothes.
Buying pieces from Palace’s collections has become much harder since everyone goes after the coveted Tri-Ferg logo-branded hoodies and T-shirts. However, you do not have to worry if you do not have a chance to purchase an item you want: Palace follows a calendar of four seasonal drops: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. Palace tends to announce drops at the beginning of the week, selling online Friday and in-store Saturday. On the Palace website, the descriptions are enough to compel one to buy the clothes. This irreverent and cheery attitude at Palace makes it unique among the other streetwear brands crowding the scene. Although a resell market does exist for Palace, the prices are nowhere near Supreme’s secondary market prices. Then again, Supreme has been around for more than two decades, so Palace still has time to appreciate in value.
In addition, Palace’s skating videos are special in that they do not focus on technicalities such as video quality and surround sound but strive towards raw authenticity in bringing the skater’s experience to the viewer. There is definitely something about the low quality of VHS that cannot be replaced by current digital technology. Palace’s collaborations with Umbro, Reebok, Adidas, Bronze 56k, and the Tate celebrate the vibrant skating culture that brought about Palace and now the culture that Palace actively promotes worldwide.
Inevitably, this brings up comparisons to its sister skating brand across the pond, Supreme. Interestingly enough, when Supreme opened its first European store in London in late 2011, the only brands stocked in the store were Supreme and Palace. In both Europe and the United States, Supreme and Palace are located only a few blocks away from each other. I would say there is some healthy competition, but they do not force consumers to choose one over the other because Supreme drops on Thursdays while Palace drops irregularly on the weekends.
Founder Lev Tanju created the brand in 2009 and slowly took over skate shops before moving into a brick and mortar store in Soho, London in April 2015, and then opened another store in New York City in August 2017. Palace made a splashy debut by putting out a small but witty ad in The New York Times, dropping a short film starring Jonah Hill and Leo Fitzpatrick, and releasing New York exclusive items. Palace will always occupy a special place in streetwear.
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