Former Moncler artistic director Francesco Ragazzi had no plans to create a brand of his own. Initially, his Palm Angels project was simply a book set in cafes featuring skateboard scenes in Los Angeles. Yet it seems that skating and the connection to his hometown, Italy, inspired Ragazzi to create Palm Angeles, a brand that is among the favorites of influential names like A $ AP Rocky or Joe Jonas.
"I need to reinterpret American culture from my point of view," he said. That's why when I made the picture book, I did a report on skaters in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, but in my own way as a foreigner.
My line is the representation of American culture as foreign. The name Palm Angels comes from the first photo I took for my book. He was a blond boy and was jumping in the air with his skate on the palms of California. I thought, here are the palms, he looks like an angel, so 'Palm Angels'. - he said in an interview with Coveteur.
In the same interview, Ragazzi said that living between the US and Italy has influenced him to show curiosity to bring the two cultures together. He said the brand was born quite by accident, after collaborating with Pharrel Williams.
“Doja të isha fotograf mode – fotografia ka qenë gjithnjë pasioni im. Herën e parë kur shkova në Los Angeles kisha aparatin tim të vogël dhe u dashurova me qytetin. Kështu lindi me pak fjalë. Pastaj e prezantova projektin te Rizzoli [botues] dhe Pharrell Williams me të cilin po punoja. Ai ka qenë patinator kështu që shkroi parathënien e librit. Kjo ndodhi në vitin 2014. Pastaj një mik më tha, ‘pse nuk nis një linjë tënden? Do të të mbështes’. Kështu nisi.”
Palm Angels was founded in 2015. The brand is based in Milan, although it can not be called an Italian brand, as its inspiration is the skateboarding culture in Los Angeles. On the other hand, the brand is not American either, as Ragazzi sees American culture in his perspective, as a foreigner. Nowadays, Palm Angels is one of the favorite brands of rappers and NBA stars. Palm Angels has created a safe haven in the fashion industry, especially for people who do not see any difference between luxury clothing and everyday wear.
