LOOK OUT for Levi’s new collection as it hits stores gradually, moving from this month to April, with a special line coming in June.
Levi’s unveiled its Spring/Summer collection for 2024 in The Playground in Makati on Feb. 22. The brand, founded in 1853, rides on waves of nostalgia in several lines: interest in the ’90s and ’00s are front and center, exemplified in roomy fits in dungarees and jeans that will fit right at home in some grunge cover band’s audience.
However, the brand gets deeper into its century-old archive with Levi’s Vintage Clothing, new-old releases of jeans that were made in 1947, 1955, and 1967. They’re made the same way they used to be made, with period-accurate 100% cotton, so much so that they can be shrink-to-fit, the way they did before: yes, you can take a dip into a bathtub while wearing them so they can conform to your shape.
Another premium collection about to be released is the Made in Japan collection, which pays respect to Japanese craftsmanship (and the way they adopt things from other cultures and make them better). BusinessWorld got a feel of the jeans at the event, which showed off Japanese dyeing techniques (resulting in very subtle changes in the variation of blues available), but, more importantly, the feel of Japanese denim, which while displaying durability, showed off a softness akin to flannel. These are sourced from the renowned Hiroshima-based Kaihara Denim Mill, which started making indigo-dyed kasuri fabric in 1893. The brand switched to denim around the end of the 1960s.
Finally, the Pride collection, coming out on Pride Month (that’s June), showcased an urban cowboy vibe once popular in metropolises like New York and San Francisco in the 1970s. We saw a reversible denim vest woven with golden thread (because the glitter is woven into the fabric, it won’t scatter), as well as unisex bootcut jeans designed to fit into the various shapes and sizes of the LGBTQIA+ community. The red tabs and tags usually seen on Levi’s items are replaced with rainbow flags.
Check out the newest collection and fits on Levi.com.ph and select Levi’s boutiques and department stores nationwide. — Joseph L. Garcia