Lee’s new collection urges consumers to “take the time to smile.”
The Kontoor Brands-owned heritage brand released a collection celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Smiley Face Company’s Smiley, the globally recognized symbol of happiness. The collection offers men’s and women’s apparel adorned with Smiley patches, prints and the phrase “take the time to smile.”
Women’s items include tie-dye high-rise flare jeans and a denim jacket, bleached striped overalls, T-shirts and a cropped camp shirt. The men’s collection spans tapered jeans and a denim jacket to tees and button-down shirts. The collection retails for $45-$230.
“Over the last five decades, Smiley has collaborated with brands across all categories imaginable—from fashion to music, to design, accessories, travel and more—with the iconic smiley influencing culture every step of the way,” said Nicolas Loufrani, The Smiley Company CEO. “This collaboration with Lee showcases our commitment together to continue to spread positivity and smiles.”
The collection is available now on Lee’s websites in the U.S. and Europe. Additionally, Lee created two collector edition items—jeans and a tie-dye jacket—which are available exclusively as part of Smiley’s retail takeovers in Galeries Lafayette stores globally and in Nordstrom at select Pop-In@Nordstrom locations in the U.S. The special items retail for $150-$155.
Lee previously collaborated with Smiley in 2019 on a collection that celebrated its 130th anniversary. The collection offered printed jeans, jackets and an assortment of tops.
“Lee is thrilled to partner again with Smiley and celebrate their landmark anniversary with this exclusive collection. Our shared values of optimism and originality make this collaboration a natural fit, and it’s exciting to see how this capsule blends iconic elements of both brands,” said Joe Broyles, Lee’s vice president of global collaborations.
Lee’s collector pieces are part of a larger anniversary collection of Smiley apparel, accessories, and décor items from more than 50 brands. Dsquared, Palm Angels and Raf Simmons designed hoodies and tees to mark the occasion, while Alice + Olivia created sequin-covered skirts and Reebok designed Smiley sneakers. New Era, Champion, Schott and Moschino have also put their energy into coming up with special items.
In December, H&M released a Smiley collection with streetwear staples like wide-leg jeans, fleeces and bucket hats.