Daily Front Row

2012 February 6

Richard Chai: Collab Happy!

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Richard Chai
Patrick McMullan View Gallery

(NEW YORK) On the heels—literally—of last week's heritage-hewn collab with Filson, Richard Chai is at it again with the chic cross-pollinating. This time, Chai is sprucing up Palladium's rugged boots. The brand, a division of K-Swiss' kicks roster, has been around for over six decades in the footwear realm, after getting its start as a tire purveyor in the twenties and traces its pieds-apropos roots to sturdy styles supplied for the French Foreign Legion circa the forties. 

"When you blend the authentic heritage of Palladium with Richard’s eye for modern menswear, it’s a powerful combination," said Barney Waters, Palladium's VP of marketing, in a statement. Chai's riffs on the label's classic Pampa Tactical and Pampa Hi styles, in constructions of corduroy and felted wool, will debut on his male models' feet at his coed February 9 show. Recent former Palladium pairings have including N.E.R.D.'s Pharrell Williams back in July. The brand also took its relations with VICE Media a step further this month, expanding beyond "urban exploration" films to launch their debut boot together this year.