Blue Denim by the Bay: The Levi Strauss & Co. Archives

Author: Downey, Lynn

Source: Costume, Volume 43, Number 1, 2009 , pp. 150-165(16)

Publisher: Maney Publishing

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Abstract:

The designer Bill Blass once famously stated that Levi's jeans are 'the best single item of apparel ever designed'. He may not have known, however, that his couture firm and Levi Strauss & Co. were two of only a handful of clothing companies to have formal archives programmes in place in the United States of America as the millennium approached. Established in 1989, the Levi Strauss & Co. Archives is now the benchmark for other denim and apparel companies who have recognized the usefulness of heritage in clothing design and marketing, among other business applications. This article surveys the founding of Levi Strauss & Co., the invention and development of the blue jean, the holdings and management of the company's Archives, its work with designers, how it supports advertising and branding, then concludes with an in-depth exploration of a few of the collection's most rare and valuable pieces.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1179/174963009x419782

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