HUMAN MADE founder NIGO is a streetwear pioneer and serious collector of Levi’s® denim. Last summer, NIGO dipped into his archive to create stitch-by-stitch replicas of two of his favorite pieces for a special Levi’s® x NIGO collaboration. For Spring 2022, Levi’s® has worked with HUMAN MADE to personify a past-meets-present design approach thanks to a new collaboration between Levi’s® and NIGO’S brand HUMAN MADE.
The Levi’s® x HUMAN MADE collaboration travels through time to bring modern recreations of classic Levi’s® silhouettes to life in a traditional Japanese setting. The collection features two of HUMAN MADE’s favorite fits: the 1944 Levi’s® 501® Jeans and a Levi’s® 506 Trucker Jacket. Both the 501® Jean and the Trucker Jacket are Made in Japan and are featured in a campaign created by NIGO and shot in the historic Eirakukan Kabuki Theater in Japan. Built in 1901, it is the oldest Kabuki theater in Japan that is still standing in the original location that it was built, and, along with traditional Kabuki actors and elements, it is the perfect setting for the past-meets-present approach to the collaboration.
As for the collection itself, the back of the Levi’s® x HUMAN MADE 506 Trucker Jacket—which comes in pre-shrunk 15-ounce Japanese selvedge denim—features an embroidered HUMAN MADE logo with the brand’s famous “Gears for futuristic teenagers” tag line, as well as a Levi Strauss & Co. logo in Levi’s® red. There’s also a custom embroidered version of the iconic HUMAN MADE duck that was created specifically for this collection. The duck is in flight, with the shape of the wings invoking the famous arcuate stitching on the back pocket of every Levi’s® jean. There’s also a small red tip on the right wing of the duck that serves as a nod to the classic Levi’s® Red Tab.
For the Levi’s® x HUMAN MADE 1944 501® Jean, those come in 15-ounce Japanese shrink-to-fit selvedge denim, and feature all the classic 501® details—the Levi’s® Red Tab, the leather Two-Horse backpatch, and the iconic arcuate back pocket stitching, which is painted on, a detail consistent with the original 1944 501® Jean. Both the 501® Jean and the Trucker feature Levi’s® x HUMAN MADE co-branded shank buttons and come with co-branded Levi’s® x HUMAN MADE hangtags. The denim for both pieces was developed in a Japanese artisan mill using traditional Levi’s® manufacturing techniques. The Levi’s® x HUMAN MADE 1944 501® Jean and LEVI’S® X HUMAN MADE 506 Trucker Jacket will both be available on 7 April at Levi’s® store in Harbour City.
