Our Favorite Moments of 2021
As 2021 comes to a close, we reflect on a busy, productive year for Kontoor Brands. With Wrangler® and Lee® introducing new collections, collaborations and advertising campaigns to significant milestones for Kontoor, the stage is set for another productive year ahead.
Take a quick look in the gallery below at some of our favorite moments from 2021.
Wrangler® welcomed top model Georgia May Jagger as the face of its Women’s Heritage Collection, with its ‘Turn Heads. Capture Hearts’ campaign. The collection empowers women to be confident and bold, and to express their own individual style.
Lee® partnered with well-known brands like H&M, The Hundreds and Pendleton on a range of collaborations featuring nostalgic streetwear, and custom patterns with an emphasis on sustainability.
During Kontoor’s Spring Investor Day, the global leadership team laid out its strategic vision for catalyzing long-term growth. These initiatives include growing the core U.S. wholesale business, expanding product categories, diversifying channels with a focus on digital, and expanding global reach to engage even more consumers.
In line with Kontoor’s vision for strategic growth through product category expansion, Wrangler® launched its All Terrain Gear by Wrangler™ (ATG®) for women. With items spanning cargo pants to layer pieces, this collection was developed with durability and style that speaks to female consumers looking to find comfort in the great outdoors.
Lee® joined forces with denim manufacturer, Artistic Milliners, to create a line of 100% recyclable jeans, featuring sustainable textiles and undergoing eco-friendly manufacturing processes. This new, innovative apparel item earned the Cradle to Cradle® Certification – a globally recognized standard for safer, more sustainable products.
Kontoor first rolled out its I&D strategy in 2020 and one year later, released its first I&D Progress Report. The report outlines the company’s focus on four priority areas: Workplace Belonging, Workforce Diversity, Marketplace Equity and Sustainability & Accountability.
Inspired by the Wrangler® cowboy spirit and vision for a modernized future, the brand launched its Fall/Winter 2021 advertising campaign, “For the Ride of Life,” which was styled by Hollywood’s sought-after designer, Heidi Bivens, and celebrates people from all walks of life pursuing new adventures with energy and optimism.
The ERP project was a critical step for standardizing tools and processes across all regions, with enhanced infrastructure optimizing digital platforms to help drive sales and improve data collection.
From notable brands like Billabong to hit TV series like Yellowstone and Rick & Morty, Wrangler® tapped into the pop culture zeitgeist, while staying true to its Western roots, in its standout collaborations.
Following its initial adoption of the Indigood™ Facility Certification in 2019, Kontoor expanded this sustainable initiative to include additional water-saving technologies used in textile manufacturing. Through this certification incentive, textile mills across the globe can be eligible for certification by adopting water saving practices and improving freshwater conservation across their operations.
In celebration of the long-standing, trailblazing spirit of Lee®, the brand announced a new advertising campaign, LeeOriginals. The campaign embraces the brand’s rich history and lived cultural moments, while highlighting rising stars (the ‘originals’) who wear the iconic products.
Kontoor unveiled its first, freestanding Wrangler® store in China. Positioned in a top retail location, the store unleashes the brand’s Western heritage to a fresh audience and marks a heightened level of engagement for China’s growing consumer base.
Kontoor continues to make progress on its sustainability goals, saving 8 billion liters of water, while sourcing 50% of its cotton sustainably, with the goal of reaching 100% by 2025. View the full report here.