From uniform to tuxedo: What happens to denim
Among the brands working with denim, Levi's is like Coca-Cola among soda pops. They are pioneers with almost half a century of history, and this year they celebrate the 80th anniversary of the creation of the first women's jeans. Not so long ago, the company had a new president, James Curley, who dresses like a rock star, sings the staff of a song on a guitar, comes off with visitors at music festivals and asks him to call only JC. This autumn, Levi's launched a new global campaign, Live in Levi's, in which people from indie musicians to simple workers tell their stories about their favorite denim and share them under the hashtag #liveinlevis. We caught James Curley at the break between the HAIM and Sleigh Bells concerts in New York and asked him to talk about the new campaign, the evolution of denim and the reasons for simplifying world fashion.
Levi's started with the fact that at the end of the XIX century invented a kind of uniform for life, in fact, creating casual clothes. Thus Two centuries ago, the difference between working clothes and that for every day disappeared.
Indeed, since 1875, Levi's have been creating uniforms for modern people. First, for workers, miners, gold prospectors, cowboys and even soldiers who wore Levi's jeans and white shirts, returning from the field of military operations. Then, from the 50s of the 20th century, for a young generation "rebelling without a cause". The stars of the 50s made denim part of a rebellious movement, a thing for life and a symbol of progress. Everyone remembers the face of that time — James Dean in blue jeans, a plain white T-shirt and a red motorcycle jacket, and Marlon Brando or Marilyn Monroe in high-waisted straight jeans. By the 70s, rock musicians switched to denim, for whom jeans also became a kind of uniform. What's on the cover of The Rolling Stones' ninth album, "Sticky Fingers"? Levi's! What are the pictures from the 1969 Woodstock? Levi's! Denim is a synonym for rock and roll.
Then you created women's jeans and erased another facet - gender. How did all this happen?
We never had gender identification. We simply created a thing that united all people: both men and women. We saw people who are equal in their rights and opportunities, and just offered them a pair of blue jeans. This is a democracy - everybody wears jeans: politicians and rock stars, policemen and criminals. For us, it is important that people dress in the first place for themselves. Of course, we played a certain role in the liberalization of women's fashion. If a girl wants to wear relaxed things, sneakers, mom-jeans, then nothing should hold her back. Exactly the same as if she wants to be discharged to the nines. Now, 80 years later, we see a curious thing. Women got a little more freedom in fashion than men. A man in skinny jeans with a bare belly, of course, can be published, but, you see, it will be more strange than a girl in wide pants. Girls have a little more choice, because you have more diverse types of shapes than men.
A man in skinny jeans with a naked belly, of course, may come out, but it will be more strange than a girl in wide pants
One of the most important and relevant topics today is the variety of beauty. Your Live in Levi's advertising campaign also touches on this aspect. Jeans are worn and old people - and children, and thick - and thin.
It is important to understand that diversity is not an option, but a picture of the world. The variety of beauty is us. Take a look around - these are the streets of modern megacities. And all this variety can be easily combined by one single thing - simple blue jeans. We underlined this idea in the campaign. We ask real people to talk about Levi's, because brands today are not what they say about themselves, but what people say about them.
IN THE NEW SEASON, YOU RETURN TO YOUR ROOTS AND MAKE A BETTING ON THREE HISTORICAL THINGS: JEANS 501, JACKET TRACKER AND KOVBOI SHIP WITH POCKETS. YOU CREATED THEIR FIRST. WHY YOU INTEREST MORE HISTORICAL ROOTS THAN PROGRESS?
Today the choice is too big, people are lost, buying up everything. Therefore, undoubtedly, the future for things in which there is style. Let things be less, but they will be better. We like the energy and dynamics of modern fashion, but our task is to work out of time and offer the easiest solution of how to look cool and stylish without bothering. Unlike fashion houses and the mass market, we have to create things that will be relevant in 10 years. The task, as you understand, is not an easy one. However, we were lucky: we invented these things 140 years ago. You can find a pair of Levi's jeans in almost every wardrobe, and we want it to always be like this.
FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS, THE MOST VISIBLE REVOLUTION IN THE FASHION HAS BEEN DONE IN SNIKER CULTURE. CROSS-LEVELS ARE FINALLY LEGITIMIZED AS THE MAIN CITY FOOTWEAR: THERE ARE EVERYTHING AND EVERYWHERE. COMFORT, BEAUTY AND FUNCTIONALITY WIN. WHAT DENIM HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE SAME POSITION AND TO CHANGE OTHER CLOTHES: FROM PARADELY TO WORKING?
In the last 10 years, fashion has been simplified. This process is called casualisation in English. The degree is shifted towards functional stylish things for everyday life. Each brand, brand understands this process in its own way, within its DNA, that is, the main characteristics on which the brand relies. Just look back 10 years ago: in some luxurious nightclub you would not meet a man in sneakers and jeans! And now? Only these things are worn. If denied jeans, clubs will simply go bankrupt. Jeans by themselves are no longer casual, they are also part of a sophisticated style. If I get an invitation to a party with a black tie dress code, what would you think I would do? Wear a denim tuxedo! And I'm not the only one doing this. For example, the founder of the Virgin Group and one of the richest people in the UK, Richard Branson, also wears a denim tuxedo for social events.
HOW AND WHEN THIS PROCESS FOR FACILITATING FASHION STARTED?
This trend has come from the US West Coast. People who live on the West Coast, in the same California, always dressed in casual style. Just think, the most influential companies and brands of the last 10 years have head offices in this part of America: Apple, Google, Facebook, Starbucks. Nearby, in Oregon - Nike. Running, sporting activities, surfing, music - all are West Coast. Steve Jobs worked in California and wore Levi's. Jeans wears Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, head of Nike Mark Parker and Starbucks president Howard Schultz. Why? Because denim is the opposite of working, business suit. Levi's is once again a uniform for people - the engines of progress. The important thing is that these people change the world in a relaxed way, they have what is called a relaxed casual approach, and this is the essence of the modern lifestyle. I recently met at Google and joked that we should open Levi's pop-up store in their headquarters. The joke had every reason: the company employs 20 thousand people and 80-90 percent of employees wear jeans for work. The simplicity of denim emphasizes that you have brains and your own voice. You do not need to splurge with an elegant suit and patent leather shoes. Standards have changed.
sneaker manufacturers today make space innovative design. In the case of jeans, young brands and big houses are also experimenting, offering crazy beauty denim. How in your case is the development of the design of the classics that you are promoting?
Of course, in comparison with sneakers we have less space for maneuver, but we pay more attention to the meaning. In the archetype of brand design, there are shortcuts, or, more correctly, tabs. However, for the time being they did not have the “content” that appeared just now. For example, red tags mean the main collection, which is based on Icons, models that are classics like Trucker jackets and 501 jeans. White tabs are non-denim, Californian casual, velveteen stuff, everything is very relaxed. Orange labels mean things done in vintage 60s and 70s: for example, suede jackets and shorts.
Now activewear is affecting fashion. People lead an active lifestyle and are more likely to wear comfortable things that are suitable for all occasions and do not require changing clothes more than once a day. How does a seemingly distant brand react to this trend?
Ninety percent of Nike Air Force’s basketball shoes have never seen a basketball court. Fifty percent of elk do not get to the yoga studio. These things are all around. What is the reason? Activewear and sportswear meet the demand for comfort and mobility of a modern lifestyle. Jeans are also comfortable and correspond to the variability of life and fashion. In addition, they are the base in the wardrobe. However, the production technology of denim, materials develop much more slowly than sports things. Therefore, we cooperate with sports brands. Remember skate collections with Supreme and Nike. We are changing and adjusting, for example, we have created a Commuter line: the jeans from this ruler have a higher belt, denim is more elastic, the jackets have a sufficient number of convenient pockets, there are reflective details. In addition, things and shoes from the line repel water and dirt, have antibacterial properties, are protected from wiping and are suitable for everyone who moves around the city on two wheels: scooters, bicycles.
In one of the interviews, you called your job at Levi's a 140-year-old startup. What does this mean?
What is a successful startup? This is an energy plus one strong idea that you have to bring to the whole world. You need to understand what the future will look like with the advent of your product. A startup survives only on condition that you find the right solutions in response to difficulties every day. Did not find a solution? We failed. If you are a company that is already 140 years old, you still have to continue to struggle and reinvent, as if you were yesterday.