An Inside look at Kontoor’s New Photo Studio

Standing in the middle of Kontoor’s photo studio on its first day of operations, Embrie Wrighten, Lead, Photo Studio, noticed everyone was smiling from ear to ear. “We’ve always been happy to come to work, but now I think our chests are a little puffed out,” Wrighten laughs. “Now we have the added confidence in knowing Kontoor has one of the most impressive photo studios in the industry.”

The new studio is wholly owned and managed in-house, allowing the Wrangler® and Lee® brands to capture and produce high-resolution images of their products, which fuels Kontoor’s direct-to-consumer business. According to Joe Andrews, Director of Marketing Operations, this leads to a competitive advantage on multiple levels, including quality control of images and branding, a better user experience, and simple collaboration between brand, design and merchandising teams on site. 

“We work in an image-driven business so we want to make sure our photos are as good and true to the brands as they can be,” said Andrews. “We know the online consumer wants to see all the unique details and features of our products when shopping online.”

Wrighten echoes that sentiment. “By shooting product in-house, it provides our direct-to-consumer websites and our retail customers a consistent brand voice and look from Wrangler ®and Lee® across all channels. When you have imagery that’s solid, that fits the model and is clear, it translates to a positive shopping experience for the consumer.”

The team has hit the ground running in the new space, shooting each day, organizing product samples and scheduling model shoots. “There is never a dull moment or a slow day in the studio,” said Wrighten of the team’s energetic output.

Kontoor’s recent category expansion – including the new Wrangler ATG outdoor line – requires additional images, and the growth of e-commerce and online platforms continues to heighten the need for more photography.

“In years past, a pair of jeans may have gotten four shots: front, back, side, maybe a pocket,” said Andrews. “Today, we do multiple shots to better highlight the attention to detail, the stitching, the wash or other special features. The studio allows us to adapt to the latest e-commerce trends, which are ever-evolving.”