Vancouver apparel brand DUER launches expansion to Europe and North America

The biggest problem city dwellers often face is finding the right outfit to go to work. In a walkable and bikeable city like Vancouver, it’s possible to get almost anywhere without relying on crowded public transit. However, here comes the big issue: walking or biking in work clothes can be quite restricting.

Founder of performance apparel brand DUER Gary Lenett encountered the same issue in 2015. As a jeans designer for fashion brands like Levi’s and Ralph Lauren, he always found himself restricted by stiff denim while biking to work. That’s where the inspiration for DUER started: a desire to create a pair of jeans that strikes the perfect balance between work-appropriate style and functionality for long bike commutes.

Fast forward ten years later, DUER has launched in Europe in partnership with brand incubator Hectic Europe, aiming to establish a presence in 12 countries including the UK, France and Germany.

“We like to land in places where the lifestyle aligns with our clothing,” Lenett explains. “These are active urban markets where people walk, bike and have a strong connection to nature—and that’s exactly who we design for. In cities like Amsterdam, people cycle everywhere in street clothes, not synthetics.”

Besides Europe, DUER has expanded its retail presence to North American cities such as Portland and San Francisco, and is set to open its first standalone store in Victoria this summer. Located at 584 Johnson Street, the 2,500-square-foot space will feature the brand’s best-selling styles, such as the High Rise Straight and Relaxed Taper—all crafted with DUER’s signature performance denim.

The material consists of premium cotton and temperature-regulating and moisture-wicking fibers. This gives DUER’s jeans a significant amount of flexibility and stretch that traditional jeans lack. Alongside performance, Lenett emphasizes DUER’s commitment to sustainable fashion by creating durable, multi-functional pieces and prioritizing plant-based fibers over synthetics.

DUER has also experimented with other fabrics such as canvas and twill in recent collections, aiming to redefine workwear classics and make them so comfortable that you can hike or bike in them easily. The brand’s seasonal offerings include Performance Denim Lite for warmer months and Tech Fleece Winter Denim for colder weather.

“I didn’t want to reinvent what people wear, I just wanted to make it better,” Lenett says. “[We wanted] to show that you don’t have to choose between style, comfort and performance—you can have all three in one pair of pants.”