Paul Smith and Lee reach back to their roots in new collection

Lee x Paul Smith is one of the more important collabs in jeans

By Mark D McKee Published April 13, 2025

Lee x Paul Smith Suren Seneviratne 4 — Lee

Lee Jeans has been a staple in the denim industry for 50 years, with some of the best workwear on the market. Paul Smith has been a mainstay in England thanks to his dedication to creativity, positivity, and curiosity. The two came together in the 70s to launch Paul Smith’s iconic Painters Jeans, distributed in the States by Lee. Five and a half decades later, the two are collaborating again to release a 14-piece limited edition collection that includes jeans, denim jackets, western-style shirts, and T-shirts. The Lee x Paul Smith collection takes the Lee 101 jeans and 101 Stormrider jacket, Lee chore jacket, western shirt, and carpenter pant to reimagine them in distinct Paul Smith patterns like his classic pinstripes and a playful washed jacquard.

“Paul Smith is renowned for its ‘classic with a twist’ aesthetic which fits authentically with Lee’s timeless style. Fans around the world have been waiting for this capsule since June’s initial announcement. At Lee, we can’t wait to see the momentum and excitement the launch generates for both brands.” – Jenni Broyles, Executive Vice-President & Global Brands President, Lee.

Why is this important?

So why should we care about just another collaboration? Well, this is more than your typical run-of-the-mill get-together between a designer and a brand. This is the return to the roots of one of the more critical collaborations in clothing, dating back over five decades. The coming together of an American brand and an English designer wasn’t something that happened all the time; the distance made working together more cumbersome than it is now.

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“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

Contributor

Mark is a full-time freelance writer and men's coach. He spent time as a style consultant and bespoke suit salesman before…

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