LS&Co. Unzipped

Jun 10 2013

Lynn in London

Editor’s note: Levi Strauss & Co. Historian Lynn Downey marks the 140^th anniversary of the blue jean – the Levi’s® 501® jean – with a near-global tour. Here, we join her on a recent stop in London.

I am always thrilled when I get to visit London. It’s one of my favorite cities and has such a fascinating history. I see my family gene pool wandering the streets, and I always go to the National Portrait Gallery to say hello to Richard III.

There’s also a Levi Strauss & Co. connection.

In 1912 the company had retail customers in London, believe it or not. I don't think these stores were buying jeans at the time – most likely they were getting fine American dry goods. But it's amazing to think about how early the Levi Strauss name made it across the pond.

In London, I had the pleasure of spending a day at the stylish XX showrooms. Our XX line consists of our Levi’s® Vintage Clothing and Made & Crafted™ collections. At the showroom, I participated in both one-on-one media interviews and an exclusive press event with a select group of journalists.

Great thanks go to my colleague Matt Blackmore, a merchant for Northern Europe. With Matt focusing on the latest, greatest from the Levi’s® brand, I was able to cover what I know best, the history of our company and the blue jean.

Later that same afternoon, I had the pleasure of talking with a group of employees from our UK offices. There, I shared letters from our archives, written by UK consumers as far back as the early 20^th century. Those consumers were so desperate to put their hands on a pair of Levi’s® jeans that they wrote to the company, offering to barter their goods in exchange, hoping to get around strict trade laws of the time.

As elsewhere on my tour, the UK employees showed up in their own, unique 501^®style – and five of the best interpretations won a signed copy of my book about the history of Levi Strauss & Co.

The employees’ curiosity kept me chatting well past the scheduled stop time - but I didn’t mind one bit! Their enthusiasm was infectious.

The afternoon ended with a Q&A session, with employees asking me questions about my own collection, my favorite piece in our Archives, what I’d like to add to the collection – the list is endless! – and much, much more.

Soon, I’ll share with you about my visits to Moscow and Berlin. And I hear rumors about additional trips later this year. An LS&Co. Historian’s work is apparently never done – especially when marking this milestone year in the history of the 501^® jean.

Posted By: Lynn Downey, Historian, Levi Strauss & Co.
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angelo defazoio (not verified) - Jun 12 2013
I see with all the pictures that most are kids and the jeans your looking at are kids to, why not the 512 slim fit and make the adults happy too

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