On the front of Palace and The North Face’s loose-fitting hoodies and boxy-shaped graphic tees, “Berkley, Calif, USA” is printed beneath TNF’s logo. These clothes, however, were dreamt up a million miles away from the Californian city in which The North Face was founded. Instead, they were designed in Japan, for Japan.

This is Palace’s second collaboration with The North Face Purple Label, which is owned by Japanese outdoor clothing experts Goldwin and produced by Japanese menswear label Nanamica, making it separate from the rest of the brand, which is run and owned by American company VF Corporation.

But what makes The North Face Purple Label distinct isn’t only its localized ownership (Goldwin owns the trademark for Japan and Korea, so getting TNFPL outside of those countries is tricky), it's also that Purple Label creates some of The North Face’s most plainly handsome clothing.

The label turns mountain clothes preppy, cleverly remasters ‘70s dirtbag climber uniforms, and artfully splices together classic TNF basics.

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The North Face Purple Label x Palace is a good example of how The North Face Purple Label makes functional clothing look effortlessly stylish.

"This collection blends the functionality required for winter cities such as Tokyo and London with iconic pieces that represent The North Face," Eiichiro Homma, managing director for Nanamica and The North Face Purple Label, tells Highsnobiety. "Each item has been carefully updated and refined compared to the previous SS21 collection, reflecting both technical improvements and a more mature approach to design."

Homma looked to The North Face classics, like its sought-after '90s Field Mountain Parka which is reworked with two military green color-schemes and contrasted by purple-colored patches featuring both brands' logos.

This military theme continues into backpacks inspired by old helmet bags, while trekking essentials like shell pants and bulky puffer coats get produced in Nanamica’s high-end technical materials of tastefully muted tones. It’s a full outdoorsman's uniform, with even a rustic-looking cardigan being secretly high-tech, lined with insulation and GORE-TEX’s WINDSTOPPER fabric. 

"Both Palace and Nanamica share roots in sport, while developing everyday lifestyle wear. On a personal level, I skated when I was younger, and even today, there are members of our Nanamica team who actively skateboard, some of whom are long-time Palace fans," says Homma. "Because of this shared culture and lived experience, the compatibility between Palace and The North Face Purple Label feels very natural to us."

Although this is the second time the duo has collaborated, it’s strange seeing The North Face and Palace’s logos together. For almost two decades, we’ve seen the other big name in streetwear, Supreme, produce umpteen TNF collaborations, while Palace once worked with the other big name in outdoor gear, Arc’teryx.

There’s an unspoken bipartisanship in streetwear which means Palace and Supreme don’t typically share collaborators, hence why the news of Nike switching allegiances earlier this year to work with Palace was such a big moment.

But this is different. This isn’t regular The North Face, remember. And as such, it’s also only available in Japan when it releases on December 20. 

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