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Education First has presented itself at the Giro d'Italia 2020 with a jersey that is causing a lot of talk. It is strange, but even stranger in the collaboration behind its design and production, because the union of Rapha with Palace is unheard of. What do you think?

Rapha and Palace: a strange outfit

With the first days of the Giro, cycling news continues to dominate headlines because a lot is happening and it is very important. However, something strange has also had its place: the striking outfit that Education First has decided to wear in the Italian tour.

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The design, the work of a collaboration between Rapha and Palace, is causing a lot of talk, and perhaps that is what both brands are looking for, because it has been a long time since something so striking has been seen in the peloton, something of that kind of designs that go down in history for being ugly or original. Yes, maybe no one from Education First is a favorite, but they are all getting quite a bit of TV time.

Social media is in turmoil and, to be honest, most of the comments are resistant to the new design, showing that in general it has not been well received. But this aspect contrasts with another equally important one: being a limited collection, the resale of these garments is going to skyrocket.

Why? Above all because of the brands behind this design. Rapha and Palace. If you don't know either of them, maybe it's because you're not very up-to-date when it comes to fashion. Let us tell you more.

Who is Palace and why has Rapha decided to collaborate with them

From the start, it seems like a pretty strange collaboration. It is a real rarity for a brand that spends millions of euros dressing a Pro team to share part of that pie with a third party. Even more so if that second brand is also a textile sector manufacturer. But this apparent misunderstood competition has led Palace to enter professional cycling in this Giro d'Italia 2020. But, who is Palace?

As we say, it is a highly sought-after brand. A very underground brand that was born in the basement of a London store and in just a decade has positioned itself as one of the most valuable in the fashion sector in Anglo-Saxon territory.

Palace was born as a skateboard brand, in fact its full name is Palace Skateboards. Apparently, upon learning that Education First had to alter its design due to the resemblance to the pink jersey that marks the leader of the race, Palace thought they could collaborate with Rapha. It was perhaps the opportunity they were waiting for to enter a sector that is also sports-related but absolutely unknown to them.

Because the slice they have taken is not only in terms of the EF jersey, but Palace has created a collection that includes streetwear, helmets, bus vinyl, and team bike paint. A marketing action of this caliber must not be cheap. They are even overshadowing Sagan.

Rapha sells these jerseys in limited edition to its partners until October 9, making it even more exclusive in a run for men and women with different designs.

Palace, which went from a room to billing around 11 million euros in 2018, was founded by Lev Tanju and in these two decades has collaborated with other very important brands, also in the sports sector, such as Umbro, Reebok, Adidas, Salomon, Ralph Lauren, or even with the football club Juventus Turin.

Just a year after its appearance, it received the Bright award for "European skate brand of the year," which catapulted it to the heights it has reached today.

As we say, it has risen like foam and it seems that they do not stop and want to also get into cycling. Whether they will succeed or not is a matter of time. Whether their designs will be liked or not is a matter of preference. But the fact that they are being talked about in this Giro d'Italia 2020 is a fact that must be acknowledged. Maybe that was their goal, as we said.