LS&Co. Unzipped

Welcome to our blog. Here’s where you’ll find a “behind-the-seams” look at what’s going on with Levi Strauss & Co. You’ll hear from a variety of voices, from both inside and outside the company. And you have the chance to share your thoughts. So read on — and weigh in!

Dec 27 2012

Looking Back, Pt. 2

As we speed toward 2013, it’s hard not to glance at the rearview mirror to see what we’re leaving behind – in our personal lives, professionally and in the world around us.In this post, we take a quick look back at some highlights from Levi Strauss & Co., as captured in the second half of 2012 on LS&Co. Unzipped. (We looked at the first half in our previous post.)

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Posted By: Cory Warren, Editor, LS&Co. Unzipped

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Dec 26 2012

Looking Back, Pt. 1

Since we survived the much-talked-about “end of the world” on December 21, it seems only right to look back at the year that was. After all, it could’ve been our final one, right? Today, some highlights from LS&Co. Unzipped during the first half of 2012.In January, we called attention to new Dockers® front man Bear Grylls. His personal story of tragedy and triumph is inspiring, to say the least.

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Posted By: Cory Warren, Editor, LS&Co. Unzipped

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Dec 21 2012

Happy Holidays

Given the news we see every day – from places like Syria and Newtown and beyond – it’s easy to lose sight of the happiness that’s supposed to accompany the holiday season.Here’s a simple wish: I hope that you have an opportunity in the days ahead to reflect on all that’s right in the world and in your own life. And I hope it gives you reason to smile.Peace.

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Posted By: Cory Warren, Editor, LS&Co. Unzipped

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Dec 19 2012

Justice Can't Wait

Too often, in every corner of the globe, suspects are treated as convicts the minute they enter the criminal justice system. Whether detainees are tortured and coerced to “confess,” or find themselves unjustly excluded from legal representation — they are, in essence, “guilty until proven innocent.”To help preserve human dignity in these settings, the Levi Strauss Foundation and International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) are supporting pioneering legal advocates from all over the world through the JusticeMakers annual competition.

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Posted By: Maurice van der Spek, Coordinator, JusticeMakers 2012 HIV/AIDS Global Competition

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Dec 12 2012

Action Toward a Greener Supply Chain

Editor’s Note:  On December 12, 2012, Levi Strauss & Co. strengthened our company action plan after further engagement with Greenpeace.  We are now focused on the work to execute these commitments, with other companies in the Zero Discharge Roadmap, and through our individual action plan.

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Posted By: David Love, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Levi Strauss & Co.

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Dec 07 2012

Working On It -- Climate Change

Over the next few decades, the Middle East and North Africa will experience less rainfall and more extreme temperatures, according to a recent report by the World Bank.Climate change isn’t a debate. It’s a reality, and for the Middle East that reality means preparing for a future that may include an increasing scarcity of food and water. And that’s just one region of the world.

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Posted By: Irene Seliverstov, Analyst, Sustainability, Levi Strauss & Co.

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Dec 05 2012

A Roadmap for Change

You may have seen reports of a campaign by Greenpeace International, targeting apparel companies and the chemicals used in apparel manufacturing. It’s an important and complex issue.At Levi Strauss & Co., we’ve long been known for our fact-based work in the area of sustainability, and you’ll find examples throughout our history. We’ve focused not just on inventing and reinventing blue jeans, but also on challenging ourselves to craft them in ways that are better for the environment, for those who wear them, and for the people who make them.

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Posted By: Michael Kobori, Vice-President, Sustainability, Levi Strauss & Co.

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Nov 27 2012

A Date Worth Remembering

In 1978, I was an intern in the office of Harvey Milk, who, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, was one of the first openly gay people elected to public office in the United States.Nov. 27 of that year is the date when Harvey and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated in San Francisco City Hall. I was one of the first to find Harvey’s body. And that night, I helped lead an impromptu candlelight vigil, marking the deaths, from the Castro District, the center of San Francisco’s gay community, to City Hall. That march is repeated every Nov. 27 to this day.

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Posted By: Cleve Jones, Human Rights Activist

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Nov 21 2012

Rethinking Black Friday

Like any apparel and retail company, the holiday shopping season is an important one to us. When it kicks off in the U.S. this weekend with the traditional Black Friday sales, we’ll be ready.At the same time, we agree that thinking sustainably about your purchases – throughout the year – makes sense. Do you want to buy something that you’ll need to replace in a few months, or spend a bit more on a product that’ll last?What’s the old saying? "Buy cheap, buy twice."

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Posted By: Cory Warren, Editor, LS&Co. Unzipped

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Nov 16 2012

The Biker, Oil and Leather

Levi’s® Vintage Clothing digs deep into the Levi’s® archives to capture and reproduce iconic garments from bygone eras. For Fall 2012, they're paying tribute to the rebellious spirit and renegade style of the American biker.The era? Think early 1950s, when the term "biker" became associated with a two-wheeled lifestyle. The fashion? White t-shirt, black leather jacket and the 501® jean.As part of its tribute, Levi’s® Vintage Clothing invited artists and illustrators from around the world to customize black leather motorcycle jackets from its seasonal collection.

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Posted By: Cory Warren, Editor, LS&Co. Unzipped

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