The “ups” started at an early age, and the first to benefit from Palmer’s talents were his teddy bears, which he expertly outfitted with custom clothing around the age of four. At 16, Palmer moved to Austin with his partner at the time, where he became “involved in the small, but vastly creative, fashion and arts scene that is still there.” He attributes his creativity and interest in fashion to two things: his very supportive parents, and one of his best friends, Neil Diaz, who he says, “initially taught me the importance of appearance and dress.” With that in mind, Palmer began designing and making his own clothes, as well as doing personal orders for other people – this at just 18.

At 20, he headed to Dallas’ El Centro College to study fashion design and pattern making, and with a few fashion based scholarships he was able to move on to study in Paris and London, ultimately landing at the prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design. Palmer earned a BA at Saint Martins, meantime adding impressive credentials to his CV, including working with Zandra Rhodes and Jean Pierre Braganza. He earned an assistant designer title with the sportswear label Kappa, and he also had his own jewelry line based in Dallas.

His design icons include Jean Paul Gaultier for his “cheeky mix of classic with subversive styling”; Karl Lagerfeld because “he is an absolute genius in his personal image and his relentless thirst for change and development”;