Ian Berry saves biggest-ever work for Levi’s anniversary
As part of ongoing celebrations to mark 150 years of US denim brand Levi’s 501 jeans, which debuted in the American West in 1873, contemporary British artist Ian Berry has produced a four-by-ten-metre mural (pictured), using pre-worn 501s as his medium.
The blue-toned collage, composed of “hundreds of bits of cut denim jeans”, first landed in Paris’ Place de la République in March, where it was installed for three days. Mr Berry’s largest denim piece to date, having taken him “countless hours” to create, the mural will next travel to Milan (April 17-26) and Madrid (May 4-7).
Local café Fluctuât Nec Mergitur, found inside the square, similarly displayed 501 jean models like the Circular 501, 501 ‘54 and 501 ’81 models to offer passers-by an insight into Levi’s history and its denim-making process.
“There is no history of blue jeans without Levi Strauss and [inventor of the style] Jacob Davis,” the artist commented. “The 501 is the pinnacle of jeans, so this anniversary definitely feels like a big thing to me. The history is so rich; it was pretty easy to draw inspiration from all the people who did great things in their denim.”
Composed of a diverse cast of characters, acting as archetype-like representations of key cultural ‘moments’ in which jeanswear played a part, the work is thus intended to evoke a sense of shared, forward-looking movement, according to a statement, in a nod to brand values like “freedom and the power of diversity that drives change”.
On behalf of Levi’s, marketing director Mathilde Vaucheret said: “I’m proud that the brand could associate its name with this great artist [during] such a milestone year and that we could share his stunning work of art.”
Learn more about Levi’s Circular 501 jeans from the brand’s head of global product innovation, Paul Dillinger, in our Inside Denim features section here.
