Sibling brands Lee and Wrangler are sharing a retail room.
The two legendary denim labels, which are owned by Kontoor Brands, have opened their first co-branded store Berlin, a concept that will be repeated in select retail markets throughout Europe.
“Europe continues to be a key market for expansion for the Lee and Wrangler Brands. The new Lee and Wrangler dual-branded stores will create a powerful platform for our iconic denim brands to excite and engage our growing European consumer base,” said Chris Waldeck, EVP, co-chief operating officer and global brand president for Lee. “In the coming months, you can expect to see additional Lee and Wrangler stores in top retail destinations across Europe as we continue to introduce our brands’ iconic designs and unrivaled denim heritage to new audiences.”
The stores will have separate windows and frontages for each brand but be connected with a design concept that underscores their combined 200-plus years of existence via the use of historical materials and imagery. The windows will always display the current campaigns.
The 1,615-square-foot Berlin store opened last week on the Tauentzienstrasse, a major shopping street in the City West area. It stocks jeans from both brands merchandised by gender and fit as well as complementary apparel. A specialized denim room is home to a wider variety of denim displayed on seven shelves.
The décor is archive-driven for Lee and includes a capsule area for the more upscale Lee 101 range. The Wrangler vibe is more youthful and incorporates bold reds and indigo blues in its visuals. A gray and blue palette unifies the two schemes and includes recycled denim across the cash desk.
Kontoor Brands was spun off from VF Corp in 2019. Its European headquarters are in Antwerp, Belgium but will be relocating to Switzerland soon.