The Skate Brand Players - Summer/Fall 2017

Big-money players like Palace and Theories of Atlantis are keeping skate culture at the forefront of fashion streetwear; while independent brands All Timers and Hammers tap our emotions.

Palace

Palace was founded by London street-skate legend Lev Tanju in 2010, with the intent of manufacturing quality decks.  Originally enlisted to lend his graphic design expertise, Fergus Purcell (a driving force at the Marc Jacobs fashion house), shifted the focus to fashion-apparel.  Thus, it was no surprise when Palace began trending on the celebrity radar; with stars like Drake and A$AP Rocky sporting the label.

(Above: Left- Palace founder Lev Tanju.  Photo credit: Complex. Right- Adidas x Palace Collaboration Summer 2017.  Photo credit: Palace website.)

Palace keeps a foot in the legit skate world through key endorsement deals.  And, tugging at the heart strings of street-skate consumers, a Palace x Adidas shop launched in London recently.

Theories of Atlantis

From humble beginnings as a small web boutique, Theories of Atlantis rose to become one of the most relevant and innovative e-tail/mixed media brand entity in the marketplace today.  Unlike many online apparel retailers vying for SEO ranking with the occasional blog post (masquerading as a media platform), “TOA” as it is known, is a master of the destination retail/mixed media culture club.

The site stocks a deep mix of clothing, skate accessories, and has produced some notables in the long-sleeved graphic tee and hoodie categories.  One to keep an eye on, Theories of Atlantis is gaining traction with the independent skate community, while compiling a superior record of street pop-culture at-large.

All-Timers

(Above: Just a few examples of All-Timers custom skatedeck graphic transfers. Photo credit: All-Timers website.)

If you’re in the market for a statement- skateboard, All-Timers is the destination to discover unique and exclusive decks.  The range of boards, from Gucci bag to Lamborghini inspired, is developing “fashion decks” as a category all its own.  The brand also includes a distinct collection of snapbacks, tees, and hoodies for the street leaguer who “has everything” already.

Hammers

Hammers has made remarkable progress at bringing back skateboard manufacturing in America; which in our opinion, has profoundly stepped-up the quality threshold for the entire industry. Started by Jim Greco back in 2014, Hammers produces skateboards with the good ‘ol hand-shaping methods, and traditional practices of silk screen ink transfer.

(Above: Just a few of Hammers founder Jim Greco skatedeck designs.  Photo credit: Hammers)

Deck image designs are pop-art edgy—as emphasized through punk rock illustration, vividly bright photographs, and unapologetic tone. You can also shop a wide assortment of bold graphic t-shirts.