Bucket hat inspires Levi’s-Nike design
A senior designer at Levi’s has revealed the inspiration behind the latest Nike-Levi’s collaboration – the Levi's x Nike Air Max 95, which releases this week – was an unassuming vintage bucket hat.
Nate Hooper, a senior designer for special projects, explained on LinkedIn how the team had been searching for a way to create something fresh for its 30th anniversary – a project that ultimately took two years.
He said: “The repeated running stitches on the brim seemed to bring out something unique - it's slightly imperfect but also serves a function. This small construction detail felt authentically rooted in Levi's heritage, yet fresh and unexpected for an AM95. With some added fraying at the seams, these running stitches ended up driving the aesthetic for this collaboration.”
The collection delivers sport-inspired style and features three colourways of the Air Max 95, a Trucker jacket and a baggy jean.
The shoes feature Levi’s branding, including a Red Tab under the Nike swoosh on the right shoe, red branding on the shank, dollar-bill-print sock liners and custom box in Levi’s red with batwing details. The Trucker and baggy jean reimagine classic denim with modern fits, using selvedge and mid-to-light wear patterns, off-white chain-stitching and co-branded leather patches.
