When cross-branded promo images featuring Palace and Polo logos came up on both brands’ Instagram pages (@poloralphlauren, @palaceskateboards), the internet was left in a tizzy. Palace and Polo are perhaps the most unlikely collaborating partners of the year.
Still, people were intrigued. With not much else by way of information, we were grasping at straws. Thankfully, Palace founders Lev Tanju and Gareth Skewis have lifted the lid on the collaboration to The Business of Fashion. Here’s what we know from the article.
1) The collection is comprised of menswear only
The collection consists of tops, trousers, outerwear and accessories. The Palace founders cared to make particular mention of a classic Polo Oxford button-down shirt featuring the logos of both brands, which leads us to think this will be probably the hit item of the lot.
2) The collection will offer casual and smart looks
“It’s the only brand that you can wear to a board meeting, a funeral and go to the football in — and all in the same day,” said Skewis about Polo to BoF. Since the Palace founders are going to be drawing from this idea of Polo’s versatility, we think the collection will offer a range of pieces that can be dressed up or down.
3) Price points seem reasonable
According to the Palace founders, the pricing of the collection is pegged to the prices of Palace’s usual offering, meaning that a t-shirt can go for US$60 and a jacket can go for US$230.
4) The collaboration comes from a place of love
In the interview with BoF, the Palace founders said the collaboration came about more as a result of their genuine love for Polo as a brand, rather than a “calculated business strategy”.
“We don’t want to rest on our laurels and do boring stuff; we want to keep it fun and exciting,” explained Tanju. “It’s not about some insane end goal that we need to get to,” added Skewis.
5) The collaboration is Polo’s attempt at reaching out to millennials
According to BoF, Ralph Lauren, now into its 50th year of operations, hasn’t quite managed to connect with a younger audience in a way that brands like Louis Vuitton have. In June, Ralph Lauren unveiled a new strategy to boost sales by US$1 billion over five years. Part of the plan is to create relevance with millennials by re-releasing its classic pieces which are in demand thanks to “internet-driven nostalgia”. And of course, Palace, known for its skate and ’90s British working class aesthetic, fits nicely into Polo’s plan.
There is currently no official release information, but keep it locked here for the latest updates.
Source: BoF
What do you think of the upcoming Palace x Polo Ralph Lauren collab? Would you cop something from the collection? Let us know in the comments below.
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