Reimaging Levi’s cult-classic advertisements, Beyoncé’s new collaboration is one for the fashion history books.
What does Beyoncé wear on laundry day? Well, in the latest Levi’s jeans campaign, the answer is the same as the lyrics this fashion writer can’t get out of her head: “Give you high fashion in a simple white tee / Give you these blues, it’s in my jeans.”
Inspired by Cowboy Carter’s catchy and melodic ‘Levii’s Jeans’, the Reimagine campaign celebrates self-expression and personal style. Along with celebrated filmmaker Melina Matsoukas and award-winning cinematographer Marcell Rév, Levi’s advertisements are beginning to be transformed through a Beyoncé-led lens.
“Denim on denim has often been seen through a male lens, so this reimagining campaign, which celebrates the iconic female perspective, is important to me,” says Beyoncé. “I look forward to exploring innovative ways for our visions to align in empowering women and honoring their strength.”
This first chapter reinterprets the Laundrette advertisement, which saw the 1967 Marvin Gaye song ‘I Heard it Through the Grapevine’ hit the Billboard charts again in 1985. Then, singer, songwriter and model Nick Kamen was the centre of attention – stripping down to stone-wash his 501s. Almost 40 years later, Beyoncé pulls the same stunt, washing her 501s (the ’90s edition) with a bucket of diamonds – leaving her denim cowboy hat on as she waits for the (news) cycle to finish.
@levis Chapter 1: “Launderette” reimagined with Beyoncé. @beyonceLiveinLevis
Drawing inspiration from Beyoncé’s innovative and involved approach to art, culture, and storytelling, this ongoing collaboration will see both household names continue to reinterpret several of Levi’s most iconic advertisements and, most importantly, modernise them. – This is not your usual rinse and repeat.
“The Levi’s brand has and always will be the unofficial uniform for those moving forward in the pursuit of better. We believe a key part of that is continuously breaking and building the codes of culture,” said Kenny Mitchell, global chief marketing officer of the Levi’s brand at Levi Strauss & Co. “In collaboration with Beyoncé, we explore the power of reimagination through this campaign, helping us to connect with our fans in new ways and supporting the growth of our women’s business as the definitive denim lifestyle brand.”
Since the invention of riveted blue jeans in 1870s by Levi Strauss, they have become some of the most recognisable wardrobe staples in the world. Photographer Mason Poole has captured a collection of timeless campaign images with Beyoncé in her 501s, tipping her hat to a long line of taste-and-change-makers who have previously posed in Levi’s, from Marlon Brando to Marilyn Monroe.
Of course, celebrities promoting their fashion and beauty favourites is nothing new – Monroe famously revealed that the only thing she wore to bed was Chanel No. 5. A lot has changed since the glamour days of Hollywood. However, the most significant style synergies still come from personality and product partnerships that are so intertwined that they feel just as sexy and off-the-cuff.
Lately, this includes the famously-fabulous-smelling Rihanna becoming the new face of Dior’s J’adore perfume while marvelling at the campaign’s Versailles setting in a behind-the-scenes video and revealing that her mother (who sold perfume at a Duty-Free store) let her keep J’adore samples at home. Or, for Gen Z, it’s the Short n’ Sweet singer Sabrina Carpenter re-applying her Prada lipstick in both her ‘Taste’ music video and TikTok updates before officially becoming the face of Prada Beauty.
For more fashion-focussed collaborations, there have been endless inspirations over the past decade, from Gucci x Dapper Dan and Chanel x Pharell to Dua Lipa x Versace and even Jimmy Choo x Sailormoon. Combining creative talents (or characters) and bringing two fandoms together, these projects carry a cultural cache that also inspires sales. What makes Levi’s campaign a true ‘moment’ in the culture is the global prevalence of its protagonists – both Queen Bey and her jeans of choice – who continue to master the art of reinvention.
The lyrics to ‘Levii’s Jeans’ are still on a loop in my mind as I write this news, and I can’t help but say on behalf of FashioNZ: We love it down to the bone.