#AfricaMonth: Loving Levi's locally

Kicking off at Levi’s new offices – on the 17th floor of the FNB Portside building in Cape Town, where they’ve happily settled in over the past month, having been based just a few blocks away before – we admired the amazing views of the city, wondering how the team ever gets any work done.

But work they do, as was explained to those of us lucky enough to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience with the brand that brought us the blue jean. That’s right, every pair of blue jeans out there today is ultimately a copy of the original Levi’s 501. That’s why it’s seen as the most iconic piece of clothing in the world today, with all-round excellent fashion designer Tom Ford going so far as stating: “I wish I invented the 501, ” and Time magazine naming the 501 the “fashion item of the 20th century” in the year 2000.

{Stone)washed away by brand love

Now, 16 years on from that headline, we’re saluting 143 years of the 501, with up to half of the global population at any given time wearing a pair of jeans in over 110 countries, and fans sharing their personal love-love relationship stories with this darling of denim simply everywhere. This may seem like a bit of a stretch, but just skim through the stories that litter the #weareoriginal campaign on social media and you’ll feel (stone)washed away by brand love. The reason? This is one fashion item that celebrates both authenticity as well as personal style as it’s just so customisable.

Levi Strauss circa 1890.

Copper rivet

The oldest jeans.

Miner trade card

Sales flyer.

Cowboy advertisement.

Pocket flasher.

Levi’s South Africa merchandise director Oliver Pywell let us preview the now-launched global documentary The 501^® jean: Stories of an original, celebrating the brand’s heritage. It highlights the birth of the Levi’s 501 back in 1873 in the US, based on a basic need for “tough pants with rivets at points of strain”, to suit hard-labouring coal miners and cowboys alike. The number 501 was assigned to the lot of those now world-famous “copper riveted-waist overalls.” Through the ages, with the addition of belt loops in the 1920s; trademarked back-pocket stitching in the 1940s; and Steve Jobs’ 1980’s staple ‘uniform’ of black turtleneck, Levi's 501 jeans and grey New Balance sneakers; it has become both a style icon and the pinnacle of rebellion in its own right. Along the way it’s been everything from a uniform of progress to the ultimate in symbolism, freedom and style with a strong association with music. Now, the Levi’s 501 alone has 28 different fit variations.*

Watch the one-minute trailer embedded below to get an idea of the richness of storytelling stitched into the documentary:

What stood out for me is that Levi’s remains relevant to the youth as they do what so few brands make time for today – they listen to what their fans want. Rebellions and uprising, typically associated with millennials, are part of the ethos of the brand and tie in to its belief of not chasing stories or trying to be something you're not, just be your true self.

Riveted by rivets: Exclusive behind-the-scenes factory tour

The product has become so pervasive that when you put on your denims in the morning, you don't really think about it. It’s comfortable, stylish and a no-brainer. That’s why it’s a true eye-opener to get to walk around the Levi’s factory in Epping – just 20 minutes’ drive from the Levi’s Portside building offices – which opened in 1995 as an owned-and-operated factory. Fast-forward to 2016 and it’s one of the last two factories the global group still owns and operates itself, with the other based in Poland. It’s a working factory so usually closed to the public. Interestingly, you’ll only find jeans in all stages of production here, from production to wash and finish – all other Levi’s items are manufactured elsewhere and imported for the local market, sold at the 15 Levi’s stores dotted across the country and seen as a gateway to the rest of the continent.

^{All factory images © ANDPEOPLE.}
And what a factory it is. We were warned before entering that it’s hot and loud in there, with ear plugs compulsory for the 400-strong factory workers. There’s just so much to hear and see and feel, some of it doesn’t register. For example, did you know some pairs of Levi’s have the ‘moustache’ on the front custom-designed in Photoshop and then lasered on in full in just 45 seconds, while other pairs have theirs hand-scraped with a precision sandpaper-like tool?

What’s clear from our special guided tour is that Levi’s is proud of the way they produce these products right here in South Africa, with a focus on sustainability and progress for people and the planet alike through lowered use of energy and water reduction. The factory produces about one million products a year, with 80% of all fabric used in its production process sourced from Africa. And while Levi Strauss himself started the company's philanthropic focus, it has zipped along in leaps and bounds since then to incorporate community investment and philanthropic thinking and acting around the environment, such as with their recent water ambassador training programme and a strong focus on HIV/Aids and workers’ rights.

That’s retail with its heart in the right place. Click here to view a cultural timeline PDF of Levi’s 501’s from the 1890s to now, here for more on Levi’s local CSI spirit and follow the #weareoriginal campaign on social media.

*^{Historical photo captions: #1: Levi Strauss, c1890 Levi and his family left Bavaria in 1848 and moved to New York. In 1872 he got a letter from Reno, Nevada tailor Jacob Davis who made a business proposition: he had invented a way to make work pants stronger by using rivets, and he needed a business partner to get a patent and manufacture the pants. Levi agreed. #2: Rivet The copper rivet was used to reinforce the pocket corners and other “points of strain” on the first jeans, which were made from denim. #3: Miner trade card The pants were made for the working men of the American West, such as miners and other laborers. This trade card was made around 1899 as a gift with purchase, collected and pasted into scrapbooks. #4: The oldest jeans The first jeans—known as waist overalls or overalls--had only one back pocket; the second was added in 1901. These first jeans also had a strap and buckle on the back in the days before belts were used, and also had buttons for braces or suspenders. #5: Sales flyer These flyers, which demonstrated the many products made by Levi Strauss & Co. and the many consumers who wore them, were given to retailers by company salesmen. This one dates to about 1899. #6: Cowboy advertisement This wooden cowboy was attached to an extra long pair of jeans and a set of painted wooden boots, given to retailers as a striking display piece in the 1950s. #7: Pocket flasher The Arcuate stitching design has been on the back pockets of the 501® jeans since 1873, but during World War II, the U.S. government wouldn’t allow the company to use it, because it was a decorative use of thread, essential for the war effort. So the company painted the Arcuate stitching on every pair, and included a special pocket flasher to explain that “For the Duration” of the war, the consumer would only see the paint, and not the stitching.}