Gap and Palace link up for 90s style and skate culture collab
American retail behemoth Gap and London-based skate/streetwear designer Palace are teaming together to launch a sizable heritage-inspired line of adult and children’s clothes.
Along with the agreement comes Palace’s first foray into the kidswear market and a marketing campaign that involves both skate icons and up-and-coming talent.
The intriguing 55-piece Palace x Gap collection features a varsity jacket, Oxford shirts, pullover windbreaker, rugby shirt with a logo, track suits, board shorts, cargo pants, T-shirts, and logo hoodies along with accessories. The collection “remixes and merges each brand’s logo into one.” Three unique Logo Skate Decks and a limited-edition Jeremy Duck plush toy are also included in the collection.
Will Robson-Scott and Jim Goldberg took photos for the ad that goes along with it, which “sits at the intersection of music, fashion, and culture reminiscent of the VHS-style aesthetic for which Palace has become known.”
A 90-second video chronicles the day-to-day activities of teenage skaters as they visit well-known San Francisco sites. Along the way, the kids skate at Pier 7 with Palace skaters Kanin Garner, Jamal Smith, Heitor Da Silva, and Jahmir Brown, as well as veterans Karl Watson, Elissa Steamer, and Tommy Guerrero.
Melanie C, a singer-songwriter and former Spice Girl, and nine-year-old professional skateboarder Anna Shea are also featured in the movie.
The partnership, according to Palace founder Lev Tanju, “made sense because a lot of us grew up skating in Gap gear in the 1990s.” To us, [the brand] embodies everything that’s great about America: it’s tidy, preppy, and all about welcoming everyone.
“It’s been an absolute honor for us to collaborate with Gap on so much legendary content that they released in the days before content was even a thing. Additionally, it’s quite meaningful for us to be working on our first kids’ collection with Gap, who produces the cutest kids’ clothing.