A closer look at Palmes Tennis Society: Interview with founder Nikolaj Hansson

Palmes — well, the full name’s Palmes Tennis Society, a Copenhagen based apparel brand that is rooted in tennis culture, but you don’t need to be on the court to pull it off. With another collection from Palmes at thegoodlife., we served up some questions for founder Nikolaj Hansson to get a little more insight on the brand and their latest collection. 

For those in the middle east who may not know of Palmes, can you give us a quick introduction of how Palmes came to be?

I think we can best be described as a contemporary menswear label with roots in tennis, created from the idea of bringing a progressive approach to the sport and its surrounding culture.

It's clear that Palmes Tennis Society has tennis in it's DNA, but for those who don’t play tennis, what's the appeal of Palmes?

To us, it’s not about whether you play every day, have never stepped foot on a court, simply like playing once in a while on vacation or just love watching Wimbledon on the television on a hot summer day. It’s more about the relation that each individual has to tennis while allowing for the product to exist on its own too. Sometimes, it’s just a really nice shirt that you feel like wearing and that’s all that matters in the end, you know?

Tennis has a clear aesthetic, whether it's the retro-inspired looks or the functional performance fits. Though, Palmes doesn’t quite fit in either one of these camps, was this intentional?

We don’t think that there’s an ultimate, singular truth to what tennis is. It can be playing on a shitty asphalt court in Brooklyn where the net is welded in metal, wearing a cut-off t-shirt and old shorts, or it can be sitting front row at the Wimbledon final in a double-breasted suit. Tennis can be everything in between those two extremes and we want to show that through our universe.

Your background as a skater is well documented; do you see any synergy between these sports? Do you hope Palmes may introduce more more skaters to tennis?

Tennis reminded me of skateboarding in the sense that they’re both technically difficult; it requires perseverance, hard work and letting go of one’s own head in order to land a kickflip or do a one-hand backhand with perfect topspin. The beautiful pain and joy through reward that I missed from skateboarding was something that I found in tennis.

Beyond skate and tennis culture, are there any other sports or subcultures that inform the brand's products?

Whatever we find ourselves into at any given time; it can be a painting, a book, a film, a typography, a song, anything really. The only rules we have is that there are none; if we like something, we seek to curate it through our tennis-focused view and bring it somewhere new from there.

What would you say is the design philosophy of Palmes, and what inspires the brands products?

To create products in high quality that will stand the test of time, both aesthetically, functionally and in terms of sheer durability. We want to make things that makes you feel something when you wear it; something that you feel like embodies how you see the world, to some extent, without it becoming too much of a cult! 

What would you say is your favourite piece from the current collection?

The Floral Western Shirt is a fun one; joining together the feeling of a cowboy shirt with incredible craftsmanship and a light-hearted graphic look. The Marco Knit Polo is incredible too, subtle detailing in a knitted cotton quality that’s great for warmer days. And of course our Fifth Zip Jacket, wear it boxy over a t-shirt or layered with a hoodie or sweater underneath!

For the fashion nerds out there, tell us any design features that make the products more functional, or make the products stand out?

We pay a lot of attention to the handfeel of our items. The Dyed T-Shirt is made from a crisp, light cotton that we pigment dye, allowing for it to have a slightly worn-in look that will only increase over times with multiple washes. The Fifth Pocket T-Shirt is made in a heavier cotton with increased height on the collar and slightly added width over the shoulders for a more boxy fit. The dual color nylon of the Collar Jacket works well too.

It's no secret that the Danish & scandinavians at large have some secret sauce when it comes to fashion design, what is it about Copenhagen that you think has made it a fashion capital and how does the city influence the brand?

Our approach to design is the same as our approach to life; it’s about creating good, long-lasting and honest products at reasonable prices that will stand the test of time. 

What can people expect from future collections of Palmes?

The idea is to build onto our direction in blurring the lines between contemporary menswear, streetwear and activewear. 

Who do you think is best dressed tennis player of all time?

Björn Borg, forever. 

Who's one person you'd love to see in Palmes, dead or alive?

Björn Borg, forever.

The Palmes Fall/Winter Collection is available online and in-store at thegoodlife. 

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