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”. 

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.”

Carine Roitfeld and her son Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld have unveiled Players, a new sports and media venture that launches for SS25 with Restoin Roitfeld as editor-in-chief and NBA star Dwyane Wade as its first guest editor. Carine Roitfeld is co-founder and head of fashion.

The fashion and multimedia brand is fronted by a bi-annual “collectors magazine” and will expand into “custom publishing, limited edition capsule collections and exclusive collaborations with top athletes and designers”, we’re told.

The duo said that Wade’s role in the inaugural issue sets the tone for Players’ “unique blend of high fashion storytelling, cultural influence and immersive brand experiences”.

Restoin Roitfeld added: “we are building something beyond the magazine – an intersection of fashion, culture and sport that speaks to a new generation of readers and collaborators.

“This venture will open doors for a new wave of creatives – writers, stylist photographers and designers – who have never worked with the CR team before, bringing fresh perspectives and storytelling to players. It will also really find how brands are featured, placing them in unexpected factors and collaborations that feel disruptive, modern and culturally irrelevant”.

They believe that the “fusion of sports and high fashion has never been more topical. Social media has transformed athletes into the new style stars of today”.

As mentioned, it will be more than a magazine and beyond editorial storytelling will foster a global network of creatives athletes and fashion insiders with the aforementioned custom publishing and product drops elements also key to creating a durable brand.

In-the-news Debenhams has turned its attention away from corporate matters to tell us the brand is heading to the races. The digital department store has signed a two-year partnership deal to sponsor The Jockey Club and its premier racecourses.

Specifically, the ‘Debenhams Day Spa’ is to launch at four of the UK’s key fixtures, creating “unrivalled moments of glamour and excitement” to deliver immersive race-day beauty experiences at some of the most prestigious fixtures on the racing calendar across 2025-2026.

It all begins with the upcoming Cheltenham Festival (15-18 March), followed by Epsom’s Derby Festival (7-8 June), Sandown Park (5-6 July), Newmarket’s July Festival (12-14 July), and the Grand National Festival in 2026.

We’re told the partnership unites “two British icons in retail and racing, blending Debenhams’ legacy of championing personal style and self-expression with The Jockey Club’s heritage of elegance and performance”. And the aim is “creating a modern space for racegoers to indulge in the very best of fashion and beauty from Debenhams”.

The Day Spas are luxury pop-up destinations that will provide spectators with interactive beauty moments and touch-ups using L’Oréal Luxe products (Lancome, YSL, Prada, Armani and Viktor + Rolf).

The spas will also feature pieces from the Coast at Debenhams fashion collections.

Beyond race-day activations, the partnership includes year-round branding across The Jockey Club’s 15 racecourses, “delivering consistent exposure to race-day audiences and an average ITV viewership of 400,000 across 85 fixtures annually”.

Dan Finley, CEO of Debenhams, said: “Horse racing embodies elegance, excitement and unforgettable memories – values that align perfectly with our ethos. Our Debenhams’ Day Spas will offer racegoers an irresistible opportunity to unwind, indulge and feel their very best throughout the day.”