Levi Strauss, arguably the pioneer of all denim brands, is no stranger to the premium jean. It was the first company to revolutionise the industry with its ‘Engineered’ jean, a time when £100 for a pair of jeans was an absurd price to pay. Now, with its new Red collection, Levi’s Europe is launching its most premium line to date, hoping to attract high end boutiques around Europe to stock its newest jeans, with a price tag to match.
“Since the brand’s debut, Levi’s has always been about jeans designed for pioneers,” You Nguyen, senior vice president of Levi’s product for Levi Strauss Europe told WWD. “Red is for the pioneers of tomorrow.”
Launched in 1999 as a one-shot collection, the new uber-conceptual Levi’s Red line is a resurrection of sorts. “For the new line, we have once again challenged the proportions of the traditional Levi’s five-pocket jeans,” explained Nguyen. “We deconstructed a traditional style and reinterpreted every aspect of the construction, driving it into different volumes, shapes and proportions in every single way.”
The extensive Levi’s archives serves as inspiration for the collection its archives to uncover some of its most cherished cartoon characters used in advertisements from the Forties and Fifties. Interpretations of iconic characters from yesteryear such as a lanky cowboy called Sidewalker, the bowlegged Saddleman and the circular Lasso Man were morphed into seven denim styles for men and women. To ensure exclusive appeal, Levi’s hopes to sell its collection in specialty shops across Europe such as Dover Street Market in London, Berlin’s The Corner and L’Eclaireur in Paris, as well as select Levi’s flagships.