Layli Dyes Hard x Lee Jeans

Layli Samimi of Layli Dyes Hard met the Lee Jeans team at a Brand Assembly event back in March. They hit it off — and the denim brand tapped Layli to develop a limited run collaboration with them. Always at home in a pair of Lee Jeans, the dynamic match was meant to be. And with Lee’s product in hand, Layli set out dyeing. Photographer Jeff Vallee joined her to document the process.

At our event, Layli had bonded with the team over her favorite uniform: a chore coat and painter pants. The people at Lee set out to find exactly that for her to dye — soft, luxe cotton, ready for custom Shibori.

Read about the collaboration and take a scroll through the photos — and meet Layli at The 10th Dimension for our October 2022 Show.

YOUR PROCESS IS INTUITIVE AND FULL OF MEANING. WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU WERE DYEING THESE PIECES?

What went through my mind — when I got the box and tried it on, I was overwhelmed with emotion. Vintage Lee has always been my favorite — and it felt so meant to be. How rad is it that Lee’s always been my favorite denim brand for so long, I’ve been wearing Lee since 17! And now they’re a canvas for me — and a dream outfit.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU RIGHT NOW:

I’m always riding myself, thinking about how to better myself. Being accountable to myself, and thinking about how through the difficulty and vulnerability how we can make something beautiful. Sharing my pieces with the world helps me transform difficult feelings: grief, sadness, worry, et cetera. The people I love’s resilience and my own inspires me. All of my favorite people are having a hard time at the moment, but yet we continue to put beautiful stuff into the world through it all.