Consider the 1990s revival complete: Palace and Gucci drop their collection

Log onto Gucci’s website this week and you’ll be met with a rotating white banner reading ‘once in a lifetime, something truly magical happens’. The magical event in question? The Palace x Gucci drop (of course). With the recent collaboration of these two fashion powerhouses, it's no secret that the brand’s maximalist collaboration is the most ‘magical’ drop to bless the fashion industry this year.

While traditionally a label associated with structured loafers and ‘Jackie’ shoulder bags, Gucci recently reinvented itself into an extravagant, urban brand. This change came after the appointment of Alessandro Michele as creative director in 2015.

Michele blended Gucci's traditional leather-loving house codes with contemporary urban street styles to create the modern ‘wacky’ Gucci we know and love. In his quest to urbanise Gucci, Michele collaborated with the biggest street style producers of the 21st century, from Adidas to The North Face. It only makes sense then that the 1990s-inspired skate brand Palace would be next on Michele’s collaboration agenda.

Established in 2009, Palace is new on the fashion scene when compared to Gucci’s 100 year legacy. But age is clearly just a number in Michele’s eyes as the two brands collaborated to produce chunky biker jackets, embroidered loafers, and of course, skateboards. The collection is a hybrid of the notorious aspects of both labels.

The collection’s campaign was equally as unique as the drop's creative motorbikes and sports jerseys. Throughout the launch ad, floating jersey wearers, spray-painted men, and even ET in a bathtub made a cameo. Whatever the relevance of these abstract scenes, it’s doubtful the ad will be quickly forgotten in the fashion world.

Speaking of hard to forget, the collection’s launch party in Soho was deemed a ‘galactic rave’ by campaignlive. Celebrity attendees from Kristen McMenemy to Francis Bourgeois gathered at the palace store in Soho to celebrate the collection. If the collection itself is anything to go on, it's probable this was the zaniest fashion event of the year.

As Gucci ventures further into its quest for modernisation, we can’t wait to see who the iconic fashion house will team up with next!

Shop the collection here: https://vault.gucci.com/en-GB/story/palace-gucci

Edited by Olivia Booth