As much as we love our classic Italian designers, bringing the highest quality of craftsmanship to their impeccably crafted garments, their outlook can feel a bit stayed. It takes a bit of sprucing up to make these collections feel present and modern, and not stuck in some rut of the past. Thus, when old-school luxury fashion houses enlist new-school designers, magic can be made. Enter the Tod’s x 8 Moncler Palm Angels collection. Using Palm Angels’ obsession with popular culture, the collaboration brings a youthful spirit to the Tod’s and Moncler silhouettes. It’s an effortless collaboration between the classic and the ultramodern. 

Palm Angels works with both Moncler and Tod’s for the collaboration, creating a cohesive visual using both of the brand’s classic garment structures. Designer Francesco Ragazzi works under the Moncler Genius project, taking the Moncler coat and forming a gold statement piece. Ragazzi also created two new shoe designs for Tod’s, working under the brand’s creative laboratory, Tod’s-FACTORY. Both the Gommino and W.G. redesigns are youthful and eclectic, matching perfectly with the shimmering Moncler set. 

Also present for the designer collaboration is an image campaign, busting out all the stops to welcome Ragazzi and his brand into the upper echelons of fashion. International supermodel and forever icon Naomi Campbell modeled the collection, lounging gracefully by the pool. Shot by Philadelphia’s Quil Lemons, the campaign evokes the grandeur and beauty of the collaboration. 

With stunningly redesigned garments set more towards the tastes of a new generation, the Tod’s x 8 Moncler Palm Angels collection ingeniously fuses the old with the new. After viewing the image campaign, one is left wondering why other luxury fashion houses don’t take on this challenge more frequently. Day after day, old-school fashion houses lose brand capital and are forced to close down. Why diminish your market when you could bring in some new talent, and experiment with new forms? It doesn’t even need to be an image shift for the brand. If the Tod’s x 8 Moncler Palm Angels proved anything, it’s that collaboration is enough to get the ball rolling.