Palace and Calvin Klein are uniting for their first collaboration. The linkup between the youthful British streetwear brand and one of America’s top fashion houses is all about the basics, covering just about everything you’d need, from denim to underwear and even cologne.
Dubbed CK1 Palace, the collection encompasses the minimalist designs that have made Calvin Klein one of the most recognizable brands in the world. There’s no high concept here — instead, crewneck sweatshirts, T-shirts, and hats come with text combining “Palace” and “CK.” Less crowded on the letter front is a range of underwear for both men and women that sees the two brands’ names repeated in alternation on the iconic Calvins waistbands. The range of denim — which includes jeans, jorts, and jackets — is especially sparse with branding, coming in a white leather patch on the rear of each jacket.
The cross-ocean collaboration is being treated as a monumental affair, as Calvin Klein’s billboard in SoHo was updated to tease the collection over the weekend. A five-minute promotional video also goes well over Palace’s usual runtime and shows a serious budget has been dedicated to the occasion. Appearing in it are figures as disparate as Willem Dafoe, the Pet Shop Boys, and members of Palace’s official skate team.
Just what Calvin Klein needs —
Despite the goods being relatively simple, the fuss is worth it for the most exciting thing Calvin Klein has done since designer Raf Simons famously left after just two years as chief creative officer. Reports indicated he wasn’t nearly as interested in hawking Calvin Klein underwear as he was in bringing more daring designs than the U.S. was ready for. As a result, sales were nowhere near what the company expected, and the two parties parted “amicably.”
If focusing on the basics that make up Calvin Klein’s bottom line is what the company wanted, then it fully got it in its connection with Palace. Sales for the collection itself will be a drop in the ocean that separates the two brands’ headquarters, but Calvin Klein will be hoping it brings more customers over to its in-house offerings of denim and underwear.
Co-branded undies should be a net improvement for hypebeasts that typically wear Supreme x Hanes boxer briefs, but the coolest part of the collaboration may just be the fragrance created just for the occasion. The CK One fragrance has been reimagined with "delicate" and "modern" modifications to the clean, citrus scent. A press release promises an opening note of mandarin followed by violet leaf and oakmoss.
To pick up Palace and Calvin Klein’s essentials, head to their respective websites at 11 a.m. ET this Friday, April 8. Palace’s global stores will also have stock, giving you somewhat ample opportunity to rock what you could call “My PalaCKs.”
