To mark this milestone anniversary Lee are producing a series of special projects, bound up in one yearlong celebration. To kick proceeds off Lee have asked designers at the helm of Lee’s four favourite labels who have helped the iconic denim brand re-imagine its most popular fits and finishes.

These friends of Lee bring their own left-field take on style, creating four distinct facets to the collection. With each designer already the founder of their own successful brand, they perfectly embody Lee’s worker-doer aesthetic. The line-up is, drum roll please, Donwan Harrell, creative director of luxury denim brand Prps; Emma François of womenswear brand Sessun; Swedish denim king Orjan Andersson, and Belgian design trio Sarah and Carol Piron and Gregory Derkenne of Filles à Papa.

For us Men, Andersson’s DIY alternative approach to design is perfect to bring a contemporary, upbeat character to the project. Clean pared-down washes is combined with patched and repaired black denim with a rock aesthetic look. Örjan celebrates Lee’s trademark denim with a simple slim unisex silhouette. And genius denim connoisseur Donwan Harrell of US-based luxury menswear outfit Prps adds his own brand of design magic, bringing confident finishes and exciting visual washes to the party.