Lucky Jeans

Lucky Jeans

Rooted in rock ’n ’roll with a signature sense of humor, Lucky Brand Jeans stands for independent thinking, individual style and a feeling as authentic as love. Friends since youth, creators Gene Montesano and Barry Perlman shipped the first order of Lucky Brand Jeans in 1990, and have been renowned for their great-fitting, vintage-inspired jeans ever since.

Gene and Barry’s life long passions were blue jeans and rock ‘n’ roll. While experiencing the hippie-counterculture movement in the U.S. in the 1970’s, the then-21-year-old Gene teamed up with 17-year-old Barry and opened a jeans shop in Florida called Four Way Street. It was 1972 and they were officially in the jeans business, “During the evenings, we’d head out to the local Laundromat with our pockets full of coins and some bleach. A few hours later, we had a stack of great washed jeans -- one of a kind and 100% authentic!”

Gene moved to Los Angeles in 1978 “with $100 in his pocket” and entered the burgeoning Los Angeles fashion industry. He started Bongo Jeans with partner Michael Caruso and helped run the Bongo brand for 15 years, helping it grow into a multi-million dollar company. In 1990, Gene left Bongo to launch his dream, Lucky Brand Jeans, and asked Barry to become his business partner once again. The Goal? To create a denim company without compromise, about great quality and good humor.

Lucky Brand Jeans became instantly recognized for its attention to fit, but there was one more detail to follow. Gene wanted to put a message in the fly, and came up with the catch phrase “Lucky You.” The irreverent play on words and strategic placement of the “Lucky You” message bucked the 1990’s politically correct climate, attracting some unfavorable advice, “Don’t do it. People won’t buy it, they’ll be offended!”

As promised, Gene refused to compromise and his good-humored “Lucky You” signature was a gamble that paid off. In next to no time, the phones were ringing with people demanding those jeans with the “Lucky You” in the fly.

Lucky Brand Jeans is built on moments like these, of irrefutable attitude and vision without compromise. Los Angeles and the free-spirited Southern California lifestyle continue to inspire the company’s style. The story of Lucky Brand is the story of two great friends moving to California and starting a jeans brand. The rest is history.

Lucky Hollywood
Over the years Lucky Brand Jeans has garnered a strong celebrity following. Fans include Salma Hayek, Sandra Bernhard, Sandra Bullock, Ellen DeGeneres, Jessica Simpson, Gwyneth Paltrow Meg Ryan, Kelly Preston, Molly Sims, Hilary Swank, Vince Vaughn, Ethan Hawke, Ben Affleck, Chris Noth, Thomas Haden Church, LL Cool J, Matt Damon, Will Smith, John Travolta, Elijah Wood and more. Lucky Brand Jeans works with the wardrobe departments of Hollywood movie studios and has been featured on numerous TV shows including Veronica Mars, The O.C., Lost, Will & Grace, Crossing Jordan and CSI.

Lucky Business
Lucky Brand Jeans designs and produces denim, sportswear, knits, wovens, outerwear, T-shirts and active wear. Additional Lucky Brand licensed products include swimwear and accessories for men and women. The Lucky Brand collections are carried at better department and specialty stores, and at over 110 company-owned stores nationwide and three internationally.

May 1999 marked another stage of the Lucky Brand Jeans development when Liz Claiborne, Inc. acquired 85% of the company. This strategic partnership positioned Lucky Brand Jeans for major growth, focusing on expanding its retail locations, e-commerce site and increasing its foreign distribution. Lucky Brand Jeans will continue to license its brand in other major product categories.

Lucky Worldwide
Lucky Brand Jeans’ European headquarters are in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and in September 2004, Lucky Brand Jeans opened its first freestanding store in Antwerp, Belgium. In 2005 Lucky Brand Jeans added two more stores in Utrecht and Rotterdam, Holland, and began wholesale distribution at Galleries Lafayette in Paris, France. Lucky Brand Jeans’ expansion of namesake retail stores and continued wholesale growth throughout the rest of Europe and the Middle East are on target for 2006.

Official web site: www.luckybrandjeans.com

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