NO FUN? Levi’s Vintage Clothing Goes Louisville Punk • CeeAreDee

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Levi’s Vintage Clothing Autumn/Winter lookbook dropped a little while ago, and I don’t know what to think about it.

Levi’s Vintage Clothing is the branch of Levi Strauss & Co that builds their collections around the long, long history of Levi’s the brand. And that is a long history indeed. Levi’s as a company had been around for 170 years or so. Even if we just look at the brand in terms of the time the blue jean was invented in 1878, that is a good long time and a lot, like a lot of history, social shifts and cultural shifts and not least of it. A shit tone of clothing.

Each and every season

Each season Levi Vintage Clothing looks at the brand’s history, looks to see what was going on at that time and uses this to create a collection of clothing inspired by the times. We have had collections inspired by the miners in the late 1800s, we’ve had the flower power kids of the summer of love, the groove movement in Detroit in the 70s and a whole lot else besides.

Telling stories

Each of these collections is a narrative within themselves. And each of these stories is told through the images in their lookbooks. The production value of their lookbooks is really second to none. But it is not just about showing off the clothing. The lookbooks give a context to the collection. They give a context to the clothing. This allows us to connect more with the pieces within that collection.

Who’s this for?

But here’s the thing. The Autumn Winter 20 collection. I am just not too sure who it speaks to.

The time and place that Levi’s Vintage looked to this season was Louisville during the 1980s. Now, this was news to me but apparently, Louisville had a very influential punk scene back in the day. Now, this was the underground of the underground but bands like No Fun, Squirrel Bait and Slint helped pave the way for the Grunge explosion in the 90s.

There is no doubt in my mind that this collection has been executed with all the care, attention and accuracy that we have come to expect from LVC. And I am sure that the images in the lookbook accurately portray these times. But then, the question becomes. Whos is this for?

An (un)healthy dose of Berlin nightlife

Who do these images speak to? There is a (un)healthy does of the closing party of a Berlin nightclub (when there were Berlin nightclubs) and along with that… a lot of the models look like they have taken a (un)healthy dose of something. As much as LVC have often used younger models in the lookbooks, this in combination with the aesthetic speaks to a much more contemporary style. A style that I think won’t speak to Levi’s Vintage Clothing customers. Instead, it depicts and is more likely to resonate with the club kids and the Norm Core guys of today.

Opening up?

It could very well be that Levi’s are opening up, trying to target that audience. But here’s the rub. The club kids are spending their money on Ketamine and the Norm Core lot are thrifting and raiding their parent’s wardrobes. They are not spending their cash on 300$ jumpers.

This audience is tuned into the hype scene which LVC exists on the periphery of. So will this even register on their radar?

This is of course only one man’s opinion, mine. And I could be (probably am) wrong. But the lookbook hides, instead of illustrates what I feel is a very good, very complete collection.

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In term of Denim, they have some excellent offerings. A 1984 in raw with an awesome drainpipe fit. This fit is rolled out in a black, slightly washed out denim with an open hem. And if washes are your thing, then there are some great examples of these also.

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Then to the prints. The T-shirts, in particular, show what I feel to be the strongest print game that Levi’s Vintage has brought in a good long time.

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Along with this, there are some bright and bold colour blocking pieces that will be perfect for layering in the colder months. And something I think we will be seeing much more of over the season.

And then there are the statement pieces. The standouts. And man. Do they go all out this time around! The Type III bat print jacket can be called nothing but cool and vibes with the whole bug thing they have going on throughout the collection.

But the pièce de résistance. The purple suede Type III style jacket. Impossible to wear unless you are a pimp in the 70s, but fuck its cool none the less.

Done differently? Probably not.

The question now could be… could or should LVC have done it any different? They have done what they always have. Chosen a period of time in the brand’s history. Created a collection around that. Illustrated the time and the collection through the images in their lookbook.

I imagine this certainly hinges on personal taste. But it’s also is dependent on the knowledge of this underground scene and it’s aesthetic. If you know about it then sure, you will recognise it for what it is. But if you were ignorant of it, as I was, then you will draw associations with a more contemporary scene, a much more youthful look. And this. Well, this is the core of the problem. The problem being. Who is this for?

If it is for you, you can cop any and all pieces over on Cultizm.