We’re living during a time when micro trends reign supreme. As soon as you learn the meaning of coquettecore or finish reading yet another article about coded luxury, TikTok has already moved on to the next thing. It’s fitting that this is the climate in which Levi’s is celebrating the immense history of their company, and their first-ever style of jeans, the 501s, a pair just as ubiquitous now as they were when first designed in 1873. For a culture so obsessed with keeping up with the next big thing, the only antidote is embracing the historical, which is exactly what the iconic denim brand did when they turned the San Francisco Armory into a museum to celebrate 150 years of 501s.
The celebration began on Thursday night at a VIP preview of the space. Guests including Olivia Culpo, Sydney Carlson, and Rickey Thompson entered the event through the 501 Tunnel, which projected images and videos of 501’s century-and-a-half history, put together by artistic animator Ruff Mercy. Once inside, they encountered Chapters, the largest public display of archival 501s, highlighting important moments in the brand’s history—a walk down Levi’s memory lane, if you will. Pants worn by Lauryn Hill, signed by the Rolling Stones, and decorated for Woodstock were displayed alongside Steve Jobs’s favored pair and Bing Crosby’s famous denim tux.
Guests dressed in their denim best, some wearing the classic 501 style while others embraced the innovation of denim, showing up in everything from bejeweled jean mini skirts to slim-fitting vests. Levi’s variety of options were on full display, including their many collaborations with brands like Ganni and Stüssy. It seemed the dress code for the evening was denim, and no one failed to miss the unspoken memo. A denim workshop allowed attendees to repurpose the fabric and create new pieces out of the old, while a pop-up store provided the opportunity to shop for the…
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