Palace isn’t a name that pops-up all that often on Proper anymore, but best believe when it does, it’s worth looking at. Their latest release is one of the best things we’ve seen all year – it’s almost like this whole campaign was designed purely to satiate us.
Big jackets, Yes. Japanese-designed Americana clothes, Yes. ’90s Manchester icon, Yes.
That latest campaign is their collaboration with BEAMS PLUS – the duo have teamed up to produce a collection that draws inspiration from both British and Japanese streetwear, with the usual skate culture design cues sprinkled in too. Oh yeah, and there also seems to be an jazz club culture influence.
The collection weighs in at a hefty 30+ items, ranging from a two-piece suit, cable knit vests, flannel shirts, coach jackets and trapper hats. Out of the whole collection though, there’s one item in particular that we’ve been salivating over – the Expedition Down Puffa Jacket.
The Expedition jacket is big, shiny and magnificent, it reminds us massively of those Mountain Equipment expedition duvet jackets that were made in the ’70s, basically the epitome of a ‘big coat.’ The jacket comes in two colourways, a bright orange with blue lining and a navy with bright yellow lining. It’s not often we say this, but we genuinely can’t pick a favourite of the two.
Just when we thought we couldn’t be any more into this collection, we stumbled across an Instagram video shared by Palace promoting the collection. The video itself was of the entertaining standard you’d expect from the skate brand, but it was one character’s appearance in particular that sealed the greatness of this collaboration – Bez.
In the video, Bez is shot alongside the Palace crew as well as BEAMS PLUS director Hideki ‘Harry’ Mizobata, who are captured rehearsing before they set out to perform in a Japanese jazz club. We’re not sure who comes up with the ideas for Palace’s marketing, but we’d like to shake their hand.
There’s an image of Bez modelling the Expedition jacket down below and it genuinely looks like it could be straight out of a 1990 issue of Rage Magazine interviewing the Happy Mondays.
We should probably calm down about the jacket and briefly touch on some other nice items from this collaboration, of which there are many. For instance a couple of fully-taped waterproof parkas in camo and midnight navy colours as well as matching over-trousers.
As for the more contemporary side of things, the brands are offering preppy staples such as very tapered all-over embroidered trousers and jacquard crewneck knits. It doesn’t matter if you’re after technical or classic clobber, this collaboration offers it all.
The collection is set to release on Friday, October 11th via Palace online and physical stores.