Exclusive: Francesco Ragazzi on Designing the 8 Moncler Palm Angels Collection
The Italian designer chats about the significance of American sports in the collection, and how his roots as a photographer impacted his Moncler journey
In an exclusive interview with L’Officiel Singapore, founder of Palm Angels Francesco Ragazzi chats about his collection for MondoGenius, visiting the idea of the American dream through the lens of classic Americana motifs and sports. He shares the inspirations that led to the creation of the collection 'Uniforms of Non-Uniformity'.
Palm Angels has progressed outside of just "American culture". Where do you find inspiration in today's American culture? And what do you think is the importance of a distinctly American identity in fashion?
Palm Angels, before being a brand, was born as a photography book, featuring black-and-white photography of the Los Angeles skateboard scene, which I did as a photographer in 2011 and launched in 2014. At the time, I was led to make the book by my passion for photography as an art of expression and that laid-back Los Angeles vibe that you could only live and authentically experience in places like Venice Beach. Since I was a child, I travelled a lot with my parents, especially in the States. I have grown up with that Americana imagery and style of life, those of the west and east coasts particularly, that I naturally infused in the brand and that continue to inspire me.
Congratulations on your new collaboration collection with Moncler! How does it feel? Can you share with us some of your previous work history and relationship with Moncler?
It all began in 2007 when, after having finished a photography course at the School of Visual Arts in New York, I asked myself: ‘’And now what am I going to do?’’. My initial ambition was to find a job as a photographer’s assistant, but at that moment there were no concrete opportunities. So, I decided to start an internship in the press office of Moncler. I knew it was not my job, but looking back, I was truly in the right place at the right time. Back in those years, Moncler was experiencing a moment of great growth which allowed my career to take a big jump, going from intern to creative director in just a few years. Surely, my experience in Moncler, which I am still living today, was due to my university as it allowed me to learn the necessary basics to grow both personally and professionally, and build my own path and vision for Palm Angels.
What is the inspiration for this 8 Moncler Palm Angels collection? What can fans expect to see in this collection?
This collection translates the message of lifestyle and the great quality of Italian craftsmanship into the contemporary language of new generations who love to celebrate the active spirit of American sports. The inspirations relate to the world of iconic US sports such as basketball, hockey, and baseball, to imagine a series of sports uniforms worn off the sporting field. The result is a sort of celebration of the energy of dressing as a personal exercise.
Like other Moncler Genius creations, besides incorporating the concept of “going beyond tradition" into the materials used for the designs, what are some details that utilised the same concept and can be found within the collection?
As for Palm Angels too, each item has been created by shifting materials and details from one garment to another, in unexpected ways. For example, the contrast bands and the shiny acetate of Palm’s trademark tracksuit land on the puffy duvet while graphic emblems like flames and stars turn into intarsia on sporty pieces.
Music has always been an inspiration for you (Bob Marley, etc.) but what about American sports? We see it's a big influence in FW22.
The inspiration behind this collection is linked to iconic American sports. When I started to design the collection, I had in mind a series of sports uniforms worn off the sporting field, a non-uniform uniform interpreted through the distinctive filter of Palm Angels where Californian culture and its style of life remains a sort of fil rouge: its laidback mindset and the constant state of summer.
You've said that you often have a musician in mind when designing a collection, did you have an athlete in mind for this collection?
When I started to think about this collection, I had in mind the iconicity of typical American sports with its distinctive vintage take. The imagery went back to the ’70s and '80s populated by NBA legends like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Rick Barry to name but a few.
What do you think is the combination between fashion and streetwear? Does authentic streetwear still exist?
Streetwear only exists if it is authentic and not a marketing tool; if it’s the real expression of a culture with specific values with which people identify.
It has been 7 years since Palm Angels was founded, could you review this journey for us and share your plans?
Since the inception, I have approached my work at Palm Angels in a disciplined manner as I want to be continuously translating into the brand a precise philosophy, a vision based on explicit values that reference a deep sense of belonging expressed by freedom, individuality, and exploration in the broader sense. To me, Palm Angels is about having an authentic language based on shared values, in which those who follow the brand recognize themselves. Going forward, my dream is to make the brand language more and more distinctive and distinguishable, a language spoken by Palm Angels communities that can be used also as a sort of adjective, immediately recognizable, to define an accurate meaning when you say à la Palm Angels.
