The Denim Beyond Definition collection for women has been designed by Suneet Varma. The brand has many more such collaborations in India on the cards
New Delhi: Iconic denim brand Lee announced the launch of “Denim Beyond Definition”, a signature collection for women on Friday. Crafted by couturier Suneet Varma in collaboration with Ace Turtle, the exclusive licensee of Lee in India, the collection is targeted at the Gen-Z and entails jackets, shirts, denim bottoms, skirts, tops, dresses and ponchos.
The Lee X Suneet Varma collection will be available at two of Lee’s exclusive stores and online and will be priced in the range of Rs 7,999 (Damonte Denim shirt) to Rs 16,999 (Damonte Denim Skirt).
The collection marks the first time Lee is experimenting with bold styles for its Indian customers. It features elements like gold foil prints, plaid patterns, and metallic riveting. Tailored for a youthful audience, Suneet Varma’s signature style is retained with embellishments, intricate threadwork, and mirror detailing.
“For me, ‘Denim Beyond Definition’ has been an exciting journey of pushing the boundaries of denim fashion. Beyond the challenges inherent in moulding denim and merging it with Indian couture, I viewed it as a tremendous opportunity to do something new,” designer Suneet Varma said.
This collaboration is a first for the brand in India, Nitin Chhabra, chief executive officer, Ace Turtle told IndiaRetailing.com, done with the purpose of giving its customers a premium and unique product.
“In the case of Lee, we have seen in the last one and a half years that people want to buy better, and they’re willing to pay a price to buy better. ‘Denim beyond definition’ by Suneet Varma aptly captures this essence,” he said.
“We look forward to launching more such exciting collaborations for our customers in India this year and the next year as well,” he added.
Asked about sales projections, Chhabra said that the brand is not looking much at the sales in the first season as “for us, it is all about learning”.
Initially, the brand intends to understand what consumers accept and use the feedback and learnings to improve its upcoming collaborations and launches.
Speaking about the plans for Lee in India in terms of store expansions, Chhabra said that the brand is “going to open close to 60 stores by next year.” Lee has close to 40 operating stores currently in India.
Lee is owned by US-based Kontoor Brands. In 2021, the signed a licensing deal with Bengaluru-based Ace Turtle to operate its stores in India, changing from being a fully-owned subsidiary of the company.
In India, Lee is available at exclusive brand outlets and departmental store chains such as Lifestyle, Shoppers Stop, Pantaloons and Centro. Its products are also available online at its dedicated webstore www.lee.in along with online marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Ajio, Tatacliq and Nykaa.
Apart from Lee, Ace Turtle holds the India franchisee rights for Toys ‘R’ Us, the denim brand Wrangler and the American casual brand Dockers.
