With Memorial Day passed, Levi's is breaking out the white for fashion and progress alike. In New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago stores all of the mannequins are not only wearing white clothing, but also have the White Knots ribbon attached to their jeans symbolizing solidarity with the same-sex marriage movement. [NYT]
You know we've really hit the dregs of the recession when rap superstars can't afford their mega bling. [WSJ]
Rather than pen an autobiography, Kate Moss is writing a "fictional" story about "a young female model's life as she is plucked from obscurity and thrust into the A-list limelight." Rocker/writer Louise Brooks will help, naturally. [Sun UK]
Bruce Webber shot Rafael Nadal for Vogue and, thankfully, his fine, fine work is online. [Vogue.com]
Dolce & Gabbana are being accused again of tax evasion. [The Cut] via [WWD]
Apparently too tight jeans can cause a nerve condition called meralgia paresthetica. Hipsters beware. [NYDN]
Simon Doonan's TV show, Beautiful People, that mimics his life growing up in an English suburb debuted on Logo last night. [Racked]
Levi's brand denim is no stranger to collaborations. Their most recent team-up comes by way of, well, Broadway, where they've joined forces with champion costume man Michael McDonald to outfit the cast of the new Broadway revival of Hair. Being set in the mid-60s, Levi's was an obvious choice for the countercultural youngsters who sought to defy the norm and awaken and social and political awareness not only through their voice, but also with their fashion. Levi's President Robert Hanson took a few moments to elaborate on not only the collaboration itself but also the philosophy behind Levi's that makes it an ideal fit for thes how.
Obviously Levi’s has always been a forerunner in collaborations, how did this one get started?
Robert Hanson: We partneredwith Gus Van Sant and the wardrobe for Milk, which was really important to us because Harvey Milk was a voice of social justice, and he wore Levi’s 501 jeans as a kind of uniform of the late ‘70s. Then there’s the upcoming Stefan Sagmeister poster series. The Shepard Ferry show at the ICA in Boston we’re taking on the road. We worked with David Hearst and the Andy Warhol foundation. But what happened here, with Hair, is a really authentic collaboration. You think about what’s going on in the world today, how the times are kind of leaning into the attitude of the pioneers of the ‘60s, so the times naturally kind of lean into Levi’s. We think of our brand as the embodiment of the energy and the events of our times. So when Michael started to do research for the show our archive eventually found its way to him. It just made nothing but sense for him to collaborate with us because they were so true to the times.
So you approached Michael or he came to you first?
Ultimately he came to us. When people start doing their research they eventually think “let me talk to Levi’s because I’m sure that they probably have the history.” I think most people are surprised by the archive we have and our ability and our willingness to share with it artists. It’s a unique brand that’s always been associated with pioneers and cultural revolutionaries that make a difference, whether its young political rebels, or artists, or influential thinkers. They’ve always sort of embodied and embraced Levi’s values: originality, creativity, integrity, youthful optimism, independence, and sexiness. It’s just in the fabric of what the brand is all about.
And what specifically was contributed from the Levi’s line?
We have this amazing finish called Acid Trip, which is kind of the times. There’s low rise boot cut, skinnies, low rise skinnies on both men and women, mid rise flares – you see all that in the show. Some of the guys are wearing tight sexy boot cut jeans, and we have two 527 bootcuts that are in our range now, plus the low-rise slim bootcut and the Hesher bootcut from our capital E range. And then the denim trucker jacket I’m wearing conveniently—all of these pieces are commercially available, but they are all used in the show, only Michael took it all and played with it. He added patch-work and stitching. He removed sleeves from the denim jackets to make great vests. It was all about customization for authenticity of these kids who just wanted to express themselves openly, which we encourage with our brand.
How much involvement did Levi’s have in the conception of
the pieces in the show?
It was very collaborative. We brought the archive to Michael – shipped him tons of product and also opened up the doors to all of our stores in New York City and he said,
“this works, this works, this works…” But during the process he showed us the sketches and all his progress. He did everything in terms of the customization, but we talked every day for 3 months, so we were very much in the loop.
For you personally -- any stories, memories or associations
with Hair?
I’ll probably relive my association with Hair tonight when I see the show, but here it is. I grew up in Santa Rosa, California and there’s a great repertory theatre there – the Summer Santa Rosa Jr. College. It was a really well respected repertory theatre, and the first time I fell head over heels—like head over heels, inconsolably in love—was with a cast member of that production of Hair. I’m sure a lot of that will resurface when I see the show tonight, but I’m still looking forward to it.
What do you want people to take away from these collaborations with Levi’s? Why is it so important to the brand to have them?
Look, I work here for a reason. If you’re going to do what I do for a living, it’s got to be meaningful. I think the reason the association with Hair is so magical is because it shows that people who’ve made a difference in the world have always worn Levi’s. It’s worn by people who get shit done. It’s worn by people who understand the importance of the time that they’re living in, and that they choose to do something with that time. These were the jeans that people wore when they rebuilt California after the 1906 earthquake. These were the jeans that people wore after the Great Depression to rebuild America. These were the jeans that young G.I’s wore coming back from WWII. And then you think about the ‘60s: all these young people who had something to say about war and culture and politics and sex – they wore Levi’s. Every generation that has mattered has really been wearing our product, and we as a company have given a lot of love back.
This is a company that believes in social justice. We integrated our production facilities in the south 20 years before it was legislated by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. We’ve been supporting the gay and lesbian community long before there was a popularity to it because it’s just the right thing to do. We took a position early on HIV and AIDS, on domestic partnership, on employment and discrimination. We argued the business case before the California Supreme Court for ending discrimination on California’s marriage statutes. Levi’s is the uniform of common sense and that’s always been a part of who we are.
Kanye West has changed his name to Martin Louis The King, Jr. Why, you ask? To embody Martin Luther King and his favorite fashion labe, Louis Vuitton. He demands everyone address him as such, but no one will. [Daily News]
Sean Avery: hockey star, foul-mouthed, fiery-fisted, lover of Dries Van Noten. The New York Times profiles. [NYT]
Word is that Buzz Armstrong will be in the next Louis Vuitton campaign. He will pose alongside fellow astronaut Jim Lovell and Sally Ride. [WWD]
The cast of the Broadway revival of Hair, which opened Tuesday, got the Levi's treatment. Recognizing the impact the brand had on the style of the counterculture movement of the 60s, costume designer Michael McDonald has outfitted the entire cast in the label. [WWD]
Matthew Williamson will debut his first ever menswear pieces in a capsule collection for H&M this summer. The roll out will begin in April with signature women's pieces in bright colors, followed by his menswear in the summer months. [Market Watch]
David LaChapelle (pictured) is opening a photo exhibition at the Hôtel de la Monnaie in Paris. Running from Feb. 5th to May 31st, the collection will include over 200 images snapped by LaChapelle -- including one of a crowned Madonna clutching a thorny heart -- as well as a new series of 3-D photo installations. Are those groovy plastic glasses included? [WWD]
DNR, in one of its last authoritarian decrees before bowing out, named the top 50 mega brands. The top 5? Fruit of the Loom, Levi's, Hanes, Wrangler and Dockers. Thank you, middle America. [DNR]
Balmain will unveil a new men's collection in Paris in January during men's fashion week. It may be a little behind schedule, but designer Christopher Decarnin's stuff should be worth the wait. [WWD]
Opening for Business: Zilli's -- one of the world's most expensive menswear labels -- debuts a 2,150-square-foot unit in the jet-set ski resort Courchevel in the French Alps.
Menswear outpaced women's fashion in overall sales during the past year, reports AP. According to research company NPD Group Inc., menswear
sales rose 0.8 percent in the last year (ending in May), while womenswear
sales fell 3.5 percent. And since May, womenswear
sales dropped 3 percent, while menswear sales rose 2.3 percent.
Fashion analysts explain menswear's new lead on the recent influx of slimmer, tailored looks, like those offered by Out 100 honoree Thom Browne (above) in recent years, and a more casual work environment that allows for increased options and in turn means more opportunities to purchase and wear a wider variety of looks. And menswear companies like Nautica and Levi Strauss and Co.'s
Dockers, once unthinkably inappropriate for the office, "have reworked their fits -- pants, for example, have less
material in the seat and thigh and have no pleats; suit jackets have
higher armholes with narrower and shorter sleeves," which offer cleaner, more modern silhouettes.
Ironically, other analysts believe that with our pokey to the point of groan-inducing economy, many men are actually paying more attention to what they wear to the office, or at least spending bigger bucks in hopes of being taken more seriously at work. "I am dressing up a bit more," Steve Hale, a 37-year-old fashion consultant, told AP. "If you are keeping up
with fashion, people notice and it gives them more confidence [that the
financial industry is going to turn around]." Hale says he spends $500 a month on clothes, more than twice as much as he spent previously.
Never an industry to idly sit on its hands when a new market begins to present itself, the big boys of fashion are already courting eager male shoppers. Ferragamo and J.Crew are opening men's only boutiques. Bloomingdales has created special areas in its men's department that feature tailored clothing and flashy accessory items like ice buckets, GPS systems and luxe shaving kits. Macy's is adding more exclusive lines, including the already insanely popular Emporio Armani underwear.
So, you know what this means: With the stores full up with fall fashions (and some great end of summer sales on last season still in progress) -- and in order for all of us to keep our jobs, keep the floundering economy from completely going under, and keep our co-workers, partners, and the boys on the dance floor duly impressed and begging for more -- get out those wallets and start shopping!
Passing Judgment: being that he is headlining the Fashion Rocks concert, it's no surprise to see Justin Timberlake grace this year's FR mag cover--and he is "gracing" with all the svelteness of a high class waiter. [The Cut]
A happy belated Birthday to the ever
inspiring and always fabulous Tim Gunn! At 55 he's still working it
like he owns it, because he basically does. [AP]
If you have, like $18,000 to blow on just whatever, you can get your very own pair of vintage (and we mean vintage) Levi's from the 1890's that were found in a mine in the Rand Mining District, on the Mojave Desert,. California. Sounds like a totally legit investment. [Kottke]
Did they or didn't they, did they or didn't they? In what is likely only a brilliant publicity stunt on Marc Jacob's part, everyone is still guessing whether he wed is three-month Brazilian boyfriend this past weekend. It's almost too much to handle, but you bet your bottoms I'm going to do my best to keep up. [The Cut]
It looks like someone's shelf life is about to expire; it's being reported that Jil Sander is up for sale. The label was purchased by a private equity fund in 2006 (which bodes so well for a designer label), but they are claiming fatigue of "waiting for Jil Sander’s bottom line to match its critical acclaim." [WWD] Vanity Fair has just released it's annual best dressed list. Topping the list of men? David Beckham. Coming in at number two? His bulge. [The Cut]
A pair of jeans from Damien Hirst's Spring 2008 collaboration with Levi's.Photo: Getty Images
After the success of his first collaboration with Levi's back in September 2007, Damien Hirst is set to launch the Levi's® X Damien Hirst line this fall. His previous collection's ad campaign featured lots of hot boys without shirts on, so, despite the fact we were left wondering what the clothes looked like, we were convinced to buy it anyway. [The Cut]
Hoping to build even more hype for the U.S. Topman debut this fall, the retailer will also carry the brand's new Black Trouser Project. It's a collaboration between Topman and five designers: Patrik Ervell and Tim Hamilton, Britain's Aitor Throup and Ann-Sofie Back, and Canada's Todd Lynn. Each gives their own take on the simple black pant, which will retail at $120 per pair. Style.com has your first look. [Material Interest]
Four top European editors from glossy men's mags give their 10 fashion essentials...and we will shamelessly steal them for our own fabulosity. [Style.com]
Though we're still heartbroken the Hedi Slimane will not be collaborating with Diesel any time soon, we can get some brief consolation knowing that the Italians are teaming up as Diesel and Ugo Cacciatore are set to launch a jewelry line come fall. [WWD]
In the world of big business—especially the fashion business—image is everything. Companies spend millions nipping and tucking their brand image to appeal to customers of all kinds from teens and tweens to old ladies and us homos. So, which companies efforts at wooing queers is paying off most?
According to a survey conducted by Clark, Martire & Bartolomeo on behalf of advertising agency Prime Access and PlanetOut, Levi's, Absolut, Bravo TV, Apple, Showtime, and HBO are among the gay-friendliest companies. In other words—like this comes as any surprise—we like our bums looking fabulous in a pair of jeans, our computers looking as chic as we feel, and we just can't get enough of Bravo's queer-heavy reality TV shows, HBO'sSex and the City and Showtime's The L Word. It looks like Levi's' gay ad didn't go unnoticed!
So, which fashion and grooming brands do you consider most gay friendly?
Clash of the Vogue Editors! American Vogue Editrix Anna Wintour is not happy with French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld's comments about her in her recent New York Magazine profile. I'm not sure who would win in a street brawl but I'd sure like to watch. My money's on Carine, sorry Anna. [WWD]
It's the oldest trick in the book. Buy a video camera or designer suit, use it once, and return it for a full refund. Well, retailers are finally fed up with that sneaky behavior and are blacklisting naughty shoppers and making returns even more difficult. Come on, if you're willing to wear an outfit with the tags itching you all night, you earn the right to return the outfit. If not, Nordstrom will take anything back. [Boston Globe]
Patrick "McDreamy" Dempsey is nervous about his latest role as the star of Versace's latest menswear ad campaign, he confessed at last night's Versace show. In fact, he's more nervous about his role for Versace and being scrutinized by bitchy fashionistas than he is about presenting at the Oscars on Sunday. Personally, I'd fear Cojo, Robert Verdi and Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet more than posing for a few photos for Donatella Versace. [WWD]
Brit-bad-boy designer Henry Holland announced plans to collaborate with Levi's to create a line of jeans for Spring/Summer 2009. Fashionista's ooh and ahh over the idea of neon splashes, 80s-style slashes and punk-rock plaid denim. [Fashionista]
Jezebel has a first-look at D&G's new gay-fabulous advertisement for watches. There are two versions of the commercial, but the premise starts out with a man and woman both running late for a date, but right when they are about to meet, they each make out with members of their own gender. How sneaky! Here's a link to check it out! This might just be the perfect commercial for Bravo to air during Project Runway!
But D&G isn't new to featuring a little guy-on-guy action. Just check out their ad from last year:
D&G isn't the only fashion brand to queer it up in their commercials. Levi's has been supporting the gays for some time. Check out the gay version of the commercial from earlier this year:
Gay men love fashion, and fashion loves gay men. Is it something in our jeans? Celebrating this long tradition, Stylelist exists to offer advice, tips, and the occasional catty observation on celebrity style coups and faux pas.
Recent Comments