Exclusive: Talking Fashion And Emotional Connections With Palm Angels' Francesco Ragazzi
Luxury is about having no limits. Case in point: the latest collaboration between American streetwear label, Palm Angels, with the Italian fashion house, Moncler.
Francesco Ragazzi – founder/creative director of Palm Angels – has always been a dreamer, turning what was originally a photography project documenting LA's skate scene into a cult designer streetwear brand that reinvents Americana style and culture with signature Italian wit.
Francesco Ragazzi, founder/creative director of Palm Angels
In conjunction, with the recent launch of his latest collection under Moncler's Genius Project, an exclusive interview with the man on his imagination, aspirations and love for collaborating.
It’s been six years since you launched Palm Angels. How would you say that the brand has evolved?
“Palm Angels is built upon a dream and realised through constant belief. We are defined by the experiences and actions of our lifetime – so are brands and so is Palm Angels. During this extraordinary journey, I’d like to think that I’m continually bringing much more to the table and connecting with our community, and that the label is always characterised by a strong DNA.”
(Signature to Palm Angels is its ability to create pieces that are at once irreverent, simple and functional. Pieces that best encapsulate these qualities in the latest 8 Moncler Palm Angels collection include corduroy pants that can be opened on the sides for a more relaxed fit thanks to taped zips; padded totes with sleeve-like straps that allow them to also be carried as waist bags; and the retro-inflected puffers, which come cropped and in both sleeved and sleeveless options.)
Tell us about this collection – the third edition of 8 Moncler Palm Angels under Moncler's collaborative, drop-based Genuis programme.
“I want to give people a feeling of entering a vintage store and finding all these different inspirations. It’s a mix of themes and worlds and this is exactly what I want to represent with this collection: this sense of discovery – just like when I browse through vintage archives myself.”
(Expect an eclectic range of classics made fun – from Moncler’s signature puffers in nearly every shade of the rainbow to Hawaiian shirts adapted into pyjama sets and coats – all perfect for layering and mixing-and-matching.)
Your brand is synonymous with street culture. How have you brought this to Moncler Genius and created one cohesive identity?
“My goal is to launch lifestyle projects and to create experiences that connect the brand and the audience in an emotional way. I love putting together things that belong to different contexts. I am convinced that an item alone does not tell anything; you need different parts to come together to compose a new story.”
(The latest 8 Moncler Palm Angels line is a tight yet exhaustive capsule that covers both outerwear and lighter layers as well accessories including bags, shoes and even hats, all imbued with a romantic, freewheeling Western edge.)
Palm Angels has been a part of Moncler's progressive Genuis initiative since its start, skipping only last year's edition. Are collaborations ever going to go away?
“In my opinion, a collaboration that sees the mixing of DNAs offers a distinctive perspective on something people are used to. The process and results can be extremely fascinating and it’s why I’ve made it my mission to be open to collaborating with other brands. This year alone – besides Moncler – Palm Angels has teamed up with Vilebrequin on sustainably made swim shorts; Missoni on knits and elevated streetwear pieces; e-bike brand Mate on a foldable bicycle; cult Swedish perfumer 19-69 on a trio of fragrances inspired by California... I can keep going.”
(To represent this 8 Moncler Palm Angels partnership, Ragazzi has replaced the cockerel motif in Moncler’s signature logo with that of a palm tree sprouting a pair of angel wings. The collection also sees Palm Angels team up with Moon Boot – the 52-year-old Italian snow boot company that Moncler itself has collaborated with – on printed and moccasin-inspired versions of its signature puffer-style footwear.)
What’s keeping you hopeful and inspired for a post-pandemic future?
“We’ve been living the last year immersed in a digital dimension and I think that what people are most nostalgic about are emotional connections that last. I have the impression that these days, things happen and then disappear immediately. It’s actually why we had presented our Spring 2021 collection earlier this year via a hardcopy zine book published by Rizzoli. I see a book as a way of showing my vision through a more tangible medium at a time when everyone is virtually connected and consumed by their smartphone screens. The eponymous publication can be considered a kind of a milestone that marks where Palm Angels is at this precise moment.”
A version of this article first appeared in the December 2021 New Luxury Edition of FEMALE