Moncler and Palm Angels' Latest Collaboration Is True "Post-Prep," According to Francesco Ragazzi

In one word, Palm Angels creative director Francesco Ragazzi tells Hypebeast that his latest collaboration with Moncler Genius is “post-prep.” From the very beginning, the designer’s team-ups with the reigning outerwear label have existed like chapters in a book. Each builds upon the last with an entirely new concept, while still remaining tied under the value of “lightness” — both literally, in terms of their voluminous design structures, and figuratively, with their hedonistic penchant for individuality.

“This is our third season of collaboration with Moncler,” Ragazzi said. “So it’s really about writing another chapter with a very focused design ethos.” Their latest design story began at The Art of Genius London Fashion Week event in February, when thousands of fashion fans were drenched in foam at Palm Angels’ party at the British capital’s Boiler Room. This youthful energy then lent itself to a campaign, shot by Suzie and Leo, that framed the collection on a number of jovial partygoers in a series of film vignettes and stills. Now, the line is set to release to the public this week.

For the collaboration, Ragazzi embraced his love for vintage — particularly that from the ’90s — and Americana’s signature collegiate style codes. “I’ve always been inspired by the idea of entering a vintage store, especially in the United States, and seeing all of the different chapters together — outerwear, sportswear and so on. I always love to interpolate those vintage elements in my collections with Moncler.” With the Palm Angels lens, he transformed Moncler’s status quo by remapping the silhouettes that are to be expected from the Italian outerwear brand across a gender-neutral range.

“One might say that Palm Angels and Moncler’s DNA don’t really belong together, but that’s what I think is interesting,” said Ragazzi. “For this collection, we tried to work around the idea of a preppy wardrobe, changing the surfaces of traditional Moncler silhouette to turn them into something they’re not.”

In practice, this philosophy turns Oxford shirts into down jackets, with signature patterns printed onto bulkier coats, and it sees aged leather biker jackets adopt a similarly warming facade. Patch shirts become entire puffer jackets with duvet-like padding; outdoor prints land on cargo pants with cricket stripes, and classic button-down collars add the finishing touch to zip-up coats. Casualness, too, is key to the collection, with a number of oversized skater jeans and tracksuit pants rounding out looks with beanies, caps, enlarged totes and signature sunglasses.

Governed by two Italian powerhouse design houses, the collection breeds California prep with a slew of unexpected twists. “It’s all about reinterpreting the codes,” Ragazzi concluded. “And it’s for everybody.”

The Moncler x Palm Angels collection will be available to shop on Moncler and Palm Angels’ webstores, as well as in select brand boutiques, beginning October 26. Take a closer look at the range in the gallery above.

In more fashion news, Maggie Smith casts a spell on LOEWE’s SS24 campaign.