Consumer Engagement

Calvin Klein and Palace launch a new collaboration: CK1 Palace

Calvin Klein and Palace have come together to launch CK1 Palace, a collection that unites Calvin Klein’s iconic minimalism with Palace’s irreverent, modern style. CK1 Palace celebrates the brands’ shared appreciation for nostalgia, self-expression and inclusivity.

The collection layers Palace’s playful, graphic aesthetic onto Calvin Klein’s signature underwear, denim, tees and fleece – including women’s underwear, a first for Palace. The garments play on CK’s classic palette of black, grey, white, wheat and quarry, and feature a custom logo that interpolates Calvin Klein’s standard logo with Palace’s iconic Tri-Ferg, imprinting Palace’s twist on, among other things, the world’s most iconic underwear. Basketball jerseys and baggy shorts challenge the notion of traditional sportswear.

The collection’s denim has been meticulously engineered in purposefully faded washes with modern design details for a thoughtful reinvention of a classic. The fit remains baggy to the leg in both short and full-length options – an homage to CK in the 90s that permeates the collection.

As a nod to Calvin’s American heritage and Palace’s roots in skate culture, the brands tapped Palace’s collaborator Vans to create a limited run of “Calvans,” which showcase a custom, dedicated logo repeated across the classic Authentic skate sneaker.

The centerpiece of the collaboration includes the first-ever remix of the classic CK One fragrance. The world’s first unisex scent is transformed to reflect Palace’s playful sensibilities suffused with their sincere affection for the fragrance that defined a generation.

“I feel so lucky to launch our first ever fragrance with Calvin Klein” says Palace Founder Lev Tanju. “CK One changed everything, and to be able to make a new version of it in a Palace way has been a dream.”

The limited-edition CK1 Palace fragrance reimagines the original clean, citrus scent with delicate modifications to the note structure. Modern and energetic, the fragrance opens with a sparkling note of frosted mandarin for a bold brightness. At the heart, violet leaf lends a floral freshness. To complete the composition, oakmoss adds an addictive warmth for an alluringly earthy base.

“From our first conversation, there was such a natural connection and a mutual appreciation and understanding of one another’s brand vision and DNA,” said Jacob Jordan, Global Chief Merchant, Head of Product Strategy & New Product Ventures at Calvin Klein. “It’s been really exciting and inspiring for me to see how people outside of Calvin Klein interpret the brand and its history. With Palace, the story we wanted to tell came to life quite naturally and we had a ton of fun working on it. I hope people will see that energy in the campaign and the products we created together.”

The campaign shot and directed by long-time Palace photographer Alasdair McLellan and styled by Max Pearmain, is a candid tale of two cities highlighting New York, Calvin Klein’s home, and London, the birthplace of Palace. The campaign features a truly global cast including cultural icons Willem Dafoe, Dame Joan Collins and the Pet Shop Boys, the Palace Skate family, Lola Leon, Adwoa Aboah, Precious Lee and rapper Unknown T. From the East River to the Thames, Scarr’s Pizza to Rules Restaurant, the campaign film is a love letter to both cities in a cheeky and irreverent narrative chronicling the dualities of New York and London, as the cast of characters stand proudly in their own unique identities while navigating their lives and unexpectedly crossing paths.

“I grew up admiring the iconic Calvin Klein campaigns of the early ‘90s for their simplicity and their forward-thinking depiction of fashion that appealed to everyone,” said Lev Tanju. “It was so visually impactful: the casting, the energy, it really remains unmatched. From the first call with the Calvin team, I knew there was so much we could do. This collaboration has grown organically and I’m proud of everything we’ve created together.”

The collection will be available on April 8th at Palace London, New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo stores, palaceskateboards.com and calvinklein.com