American artist Keith Haring was a leading figure of 1980s New York who brought art to the streets, painting vibrant, cartoon-like images on everything from buildings and subway ad panels to the walls of a museum. Clothing was also a canvas for his pop art, including a personal pair of Levi’s® 501® jeans, which are the latest addition to the Levi Strauss & Co. Archives.
Keith had an affinity for Levi’s® 501® jeans. For example, he painted a pair of Levi’s® 501® jeans for Madonna. The pair was cut to the knees and covered with images of an American flag, a giant eye, flowers, a bunch of cherries and the words “Love Not War.” Madonna wore distinctive jeans to a charity event at Indochine in 1989.
But Keith also wore Levi’s® himself. Photos from the 1980s show him dressed in Levi’s® spattered with paint as well as in plain Levi’s® paired with a T-shirt and sneakers. One iconic photo shows Keith standing in front of a wall of his black and white graphics, sporting a red hat, a sweatshirt featuring his “radiant baby” graphic and his “best Levi’s®” covered in patches. These are the Levi’s® 501® jeans now in the Archives, acquired in a private sale through Sotheby’s New York in June 2026.
The jeans are a patchwork of pop culture and art. Colorful patches cover the front and back, ranging from Mickey Mouse and a “Ghostbusters” movie patch to the Stroh’s Beer logo in bright yellow, a red and blue Pepsi logo, and Keith’s own radiant baby and barking dog characters. Other patches are from familiar comic strips, like Charlie Brown and Linus of Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts” series, as well as television cartoon characters like Tom and Jerry and Tweety Bird.
The 501® jeans are heavily handstitched, presumably in Keith’s own hand. The button fly is edged in a rainbow of embroidery threads in pinks and purples. A line of embroidery in an ombré of blues sits just below the front left knee. Stitches are also visible around the patches themselves, including large white stitches around a giant letter “B” and yellow stitching to match the edge of a Spider-Man patch.
The customized Levi’s® are a snapshot of Keith’s life and hold memories for those who knew him. Keith’s childhood friend Kermit Oswald kept the jeans safe in his home for almost 40 years after the artist passed away. I sat down with Kermit for an interview shortly before the sale, and during our conversation he pointed out a security guard patch to me. He explained that, to hide his lifestyle, Keith told his parents that the gay partners who accompanied him home were security guards. Kermit was the one who told Keith’s parents about his HIV diagnosis. “That’s what friends do,” he said.
Keith’s Levi’s® were well worn. The hem is frayed, the jeans are faded and there are visible tears on the lower front right leg along with areas of staining. The wear is clear evidence that they were worn regularly. They were also a work in progress — a needle with thread still attached sits as if waiting for Keith to pick up where he left off. It is a poignant reminder of a life cut short: Keith passed away from AIDS-related complications at 31.
Nearly 40 years after Keith’s death in 1990, the Levi’s® will be on display as part of an upcoming art exhibition at The Vault, Levi Strauss & Co.’s museum in San Francisco, in early 2027.
