SkatePal
Merch direction
2024/25
Commercial work
Merch direction
2024/25
Commercial work
A journey from non-profit skateboard organisation to a globally respected skateboarding brand.
Since 2013, SkatePal has been supporting young people in Palestine through skateboarding. After several trips to the region (transporting equipment, running skate sessions and helping with skatepark constructions) I joined the team to help the organisation develop into a self-sustaining skate brand that can continue supporting the local scene for years to come.
Here’s a selection of the products I’ve developed and / or designed so far, working in collaboration with some very talented individuals:
(1–6)
Haraka Baraka
A phrasebook developed by SkatePal and designed by Samar Maakaroun, offering a fun introduction to the Arabic language through the words and phrases of Palestine’s skateboarding community. Available here.
(7–11)
Licence Plate capsule A graphic raising awareness of the apartheid road system enforced by the occupation forces, in which Israeli cars (yellow reg plates) drive freely while Palestinian vehicles (green reg plates) endure severe restrictions. Available here.
(12-13)
Gaza Skate Team tee
A t-shirt raising money for founder of Gaza Skate Team, Rajab Al-Reefi. Released during the height of Israel’s miltary bombardment of Gaza, the graphic features a clip posted to Instagram showing Rajab doing a kickflip on a piece of rubble in the aftermath of air strikes. By the time a ceasefire agreement was reached, the tee had raised over £25,000. Available here.
(15–18)
SkatePal x Fichier Caché capsule A collaborative capsule with Tunisian lifestyle brand Fichier Caché. The designs were inspired by fruit stickers across the SWANA region, and underpinned by a sentiment shared between both brands: ‘Born in struggle, thriving in chaos’ . The deck takes the shape of a fruit synonymous with Palestinian resistance, and comes with a free pack of our ‘fruit-stickers’ for people to stick on, rather than peel-off.
(19–23)
SkatePal x Sabri Sundos capsule A collaborative capsule with Palestinian-American artist Sabri Sundos. The collection featured a special set of hand-embroidered tees, a skateboard that looks as if it’s made from fabric rather than wood, plus a series of workshops in NYC teaching the history of tatreez (a traditional form of Palestinian embroidery), allowing participants to embroider their own limited-edition SkatePal bag.
(24–25)
SkatePal x Habibis capsule The Lion of Babylon and Palestine’s national animal – the mountain gazelle – are brought together for a collaboration with a Scottish skate brand with Arab roots.
(26)
SkatePal x Fil Shatta A collaboration with producers of artisinal Palestinian Shatta (a traditional spicy relish from the region), centred around the story and flavours of Nablus: the spiritual home of Fil’s founders and the location of SkatePal’s longest-running skatepark.
All products available for purchase via skatepal.co.uk/shop
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Since 2013, SkatePal has been supporting young people in Palestine through skateboarding. After several trips to the region (transporting equipment, running skate sessions and helping with skatepark constructions) I joined the team to help the organisation develop into a self-sustaining skate brand that can continue supporting the local scene for years to come.
Here’s a selection of the products I’ve developed and / or designed so far, working in collaboration with some very talented individuals:
(1–6)
Haraka Baraka
A phrasebook developed by SkatePal and designed by Samar Maakaroun, offering a fun introduction to the Arabic language through the words and phrases of Palestine’s skateboarding community. Available here.
(7–11)
Licence Plate capsule A graphic raising awareness of the apartheid road system enforced by the occupation forces, in which Israeli cars (yellow reg plates) drive freely while Palestinian vehicles (green reg plates) endure severe restrictions. Available here.
(12-13)
Gaza Skate Team tee
A t-shirt raising money for founder of Gaza Skate Team, Rajab Al-Reefi. Released during the height of Israel’s miltary bombardment of Gaza, the graphic features a clip posted to Instagram showing Rajab doing a kickflip on a piece of rubble in the aftermath of air strikes. By the time a ceasefire agreement was reached, the tee had raised over £25,000. Available here.
(15–18)
SkatePal x Fichier Caché capsule A collaborative capsule with Tunisian lifestyle brand Fichier Caché. The designs were inspired by fruit stickers across the SWANA region, and underpinned by a sentiment shared between both brands: ‘Born in struggle, thriving in chaos’ . The deck takes the shape of a fruit synonymous with Palestinian resistance, and comes with a free pack of our ‘fruit-stickers’ for people to stick on, rather than peel-off.
(19–23)
SkatePal x Sabri Sundos capsule A collaborative capsule with Palestinian-American artist Sabri Sundos. The collection featured a special set of hand-embroidered tees, a skateboard that looks as if it’s made from fabric rather than wood, plus a series of workshops in NYC teaching the history of tatreez (a traditional form of Palestinian embroidery), allowing participants to embroider their own limited-edition SkatePal bag.
(24–25)
SkatePal x Habibis capsule The Lion of Babylon and Palestine’s national animal – the mountain gazelle – are brought together for a collaboration with a Scottish skate brand with Arab roots.
(26)
SkatePal x Fil Shatta A collaboration with producers of artisinal Palestinian Shatta (a traditional spicy relish from the region), centred around the story and flavours of Nablus: the spiritual home of Fil’s founders and the location of SkatePal’s longest-running skatepark.
All products available for purchase via skatepal.co.uk/shop