Levi Strauss, the inventor of the quintessential American garment, was born in 1829 in Buttenheim, Germany, but then later moved to New York then San Francisco. When news of the California Gold Rush made its way east, Levi journeyed to San Francisco in 1853 to make his fortune, though he wouldn’t make it panning gold. After hearing about a unique idea from one of his customers, Jacob Davis, about a new way of making trousers last longer. Levi was enthusiastic about the idea. The patent was granted to Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss on May 20, 1873 and blue jeans were born. These jeans were made for the everyday working man who needed sturdy workwear for the harsh mining conditions of the mining industry. Soon, the first riveted clothing was made and sold. They made their first jeans out of denim — the traditional fabric for men’s workwear. Within a very short time, the jean was a bona fide success.
It may seem like a simple contribution in the larger journey toward gender equality, but Levi’s truly pushed the envelope when it created the first-ever line of jeans for women back in 1934. Western women had been borrowing their husband’s or brother’s Levi’s 501 jeans for years when LS&Co. recognized the need for a women’s work pant. While the concept of Lady Levi’s was born out of need, it was completely cutting-edge when you consider the fact that women’s pants were not accepted as mainstream dress until several decades later.
Now over 100 years later, Levi’s is still the leading brands in the denim sector of the fashion industry. To this day they still sell the 501 jeans exactly how it was when it was first designed. The brand has been able to keep up to date with current trends and change in technology but without losing who they are and what they believe in.
Levi’s actively work in collaboration with many communities, brands and influencers to help shape the world. For instances, Levi’s jeans have long been the denim choice of skateboarders across the world. They’re constantly looking for ways to make innovations with their collections, as well as unite local skate communities. In 2013, they started building public skate parks in cities where we saw the need for togetherness among skaters. They teamed up with two organisations – HolyStoked and 2er – as well as a team of skaters for their first project: building India’s first free skate park in Bangalore.
Comments