A third collaboration underscores themes of peace, observation, and history through surrealist graphics
British streetwear brand Palace has reunited with French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac for a third collaboration, launching June 28. Drawing heavily on the art of collage and Dadaist influences, the collection delivers a bold, symbolic, and eccentric vision rooted in themes of love, peace, and social awareness.
De Castelbajac—who recently dressed more than 700 clergy members for the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris—brings his signature fusion of color, surrealism, and playful spirituality to the drop. The collection features varsity jackets, oversized knitwear, denim separates, hoodies, and long-sleeve tees, all reworked with vivid felt appliqués, layered prints, and Palace logos dismantled and rebuilt into new forms.
The artist-designer tapped into a deep well of symbolism for the collaboration. A white dove, representing serenity and harmony, appears throughout as a call for peace. An all-seeing eye reflects the social-media-saturated gaze of contemporary life, while a marble bust nods to collective memory and the historical roots of humanity. “Every element is a moving art piece, a collectible, a special one for universal graphic heroes,” Castelbajac said of the collection.
This marks the third Palace x de Castelbajac collection, following 2019’s drop centered on fraternity and a 2020 capsule filled with peace signs, hearts, teddy bears, and acid-house smileys. Each release has been marked by a blend of subcultural iconography and high-concept design.
The collaboration reaffirms streetwear’s ability to carry deeper cultural narratives. But despite its imaginative visual language, the Palace x Castelbajac drop feels caught in familiar territory, highlighting the ongoing challenge for fashion to move beyond cliché and truly engage with today’s complex social landscape.
