Paul Smith and Lee have released the capsule collection that was first shown at the Paul Smith SS25 presentation at Pitti Uomo. The British designer and the American brand have collaborated on a collection inspired by Paul Smith’s famous stripes and Sir Paul’s saying, “look and see”.
Paul Smith x Lee
The 14-piece limited edition includes jeans, denim jackets, western-style shirts and T-shirts.
The companies said their connection goes back many years with Paul Smith’s first shop in Nottingham having been a location to sell his own designs and to present his customer base with his favourite items from other makers.
We’re told that “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, workwear, or Americana”.
Now, in a “full circle moment, the capsule reframes the Lee 101 jean and 101 Stormrider jacket, Lee chore jacket, western shirt and carpenter pant in exclusive prints and patterns”.
A washed jacquard set featuring Smith’s tapered trouser, and playful graphic tees and hoodies complete the new collection.
Co-branded trim details give hints of colour while a signature version of the Paul Smith stripe is interspersed throughout.
The collection’s “playfulness” is represented in the official campaign imagery. Shot by Anton Gottlob, it features six “friends of Paul Smith” styled to highlight each talent’s personality. Featuring two musicians, a painter, a dancer, a stylist and a lawyer (Emil Sands, Deneille Robert Percival, Suren Seneviratne, Eddie Wailes, Henry Prior and Hak Baker), “the collection fits each subject and their lifestyle in a unique way”.
Prices range from £85-£450/$90-$450 on paulsmith.com and lee.com and in selected partner-owned stores worldwide. It’s also available in select retailers globally with Nordstrom as the exclusive US wholesaler.
“I used to sell Lee in my Nottingham shop in the 1970s and they were important to me when I was first starting out. Getting clothes over to the UK from the USA was much more difficult to do back then and it was always so exciting to have it in the shop. They’ve got real heritage and being able to partner on this collection has been great. Pairing their expertise in denim and our knowledge of print and design is a brilliant combination,” Sir Paul Smith said.
And Jenni Broyles, executive VP & global brands president at Lee, added: “Paul Smith is renowned for its ‘classic with a twist’ aesthetic which fits authentically with Lee’s timeless style.”
