British designer brand Paul Smith’s confirmed an upcoming collaboration with Kontoor-owned denim brand Lee in a “coming soon” message posted earlier this month.
The company said the upcoming collab would take “rugged, utilitarian designs” from Lee and reimagine them “in a uniquely Paul Smith way.”
“Paul’s very first shop at 6 Byard Lane, Nottingham, was a place for him to not only show his own designs, but to present his burgeoning customer base with his favourite items from other makers,” the company said on its e-commerce site. “One such item was a particularly excellent pair of painter’s trousers which he began importing in the early 1970s, from a specialist denim brand based in the United States. That brand was Lee — a name familiar to anyone with even a passing interest in denim, western wear, or Americana.”
The limited-edition collection includes jeans, denim jackets, woven tops and T-shirts. No further details were given. “Stay tuned for more info,” the company said.
In a similar post on the brand’s Instagram page, the company said that the collection would launch in spring-summer 2025 as an homage to the designer’s “long-standing love” of the Lee brand.
This is the second collaboration for Lee this season. Also in June, Lee launched a seven-piece capsule with footwear brand Heydude that offered apparel, shoes and a hat in men’s, women’s and unisex styles.
For the 12 months ended June 30, 2023, Paul Smith Group posted a turnover increase of 4% to 152.6 million pounds, or approximately $194 million year over year, according to a filing with Companies House. However, the label’s losses grew 55% for the period to 11.6 million pounds from 7.5 million pounds.
At Lee, first quarter revenue dropped 9%, and in the U.S. the brand’s revenue fell 12% year over year, according to Kontoor’s May earnings report.
