This September, the Levi's brand is partnering with celebrated emerging men's fashion designer Billy Reid to unveil a limited-edition, high-end collection that couples the denim leader with Reid's Southern-bred approach to masculine design.
Hand-crafted in the USA, the resulting Levi's Workwear by Billy Reid assortment showcases the Levi's brand's own workwear roots, incorporating utilitarian, highly functional styles, with Reid's refined yet modern tailoring. The highly-anticipated range will be introduced through exclusive events held at the Bloomingdale's store at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue in New York City, along with Reid's namesake boutique in lower Manhattan. Both events will coincide with the second annual Fashion's Night Out shopping extravaganza in New York City on September 10.
"In terms of inspiration, our idea was to focus on the workwear and outdoor categories from the early days of the Levi's brand. We were able to work with some incredible people in the Levi's archives and found an old work apron from the turn of the century, complete with all its natural wear, tear and stains. It just really seemed to stand out," offers winning designer, Billy Reid on the collaborative process.
"The apron became a true muse and its influence is present in each piece of the collection. For example, the hunting jacket has a removable — and fully functioning — pocketed, work apron on the inside, providing an internal game pouch. And we then used it to design the tote bag, which was developed by folding the apron into a bag shape."
For the third consecutive year, the Levi's brand has teamed with the winner of GQ's "Best New Menswear Designers in America" project to create a collaboratively-designed, exclusive collection that marries the winning designer's vision with Levi's denim and workwear heritage and the often-imitated, iconic Original 501 jean.
The highly-influential, New York-based menswear designer Billy Reid is the third annual recipient to be recognized through this competition which celebrates the groundbreaking work of up-and-coming American menswear fashion designers. The "Best New Menswear Designers in America" was founded by GQ in conjunction with The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in 2008.
"The idea was to take a specific assortment of hunting styles from our archives and to re-imagine and reconstruct them for the gamesman of today," said Carl Chiara, director of Men's and Women's Brand Concepts for the Levi's Brand, the Americas. "Each piece in the collection retains its original purpose but they become completely modern, not only through the precise tailoring and fit, but also through the choice of fabrics and finishing techniques we elected to use."
"We are always on the lookout for new and talented upcoming designers to add to our men's assortment, so we are thrilled to be a partner yet again in the Best New Designer in America program,"says Kevin Harter, Bloomingdale's Vice President of Men's Fashion Direction. "And as one of the first upscale retailers to carry the Billy Reid collection, we are excited to bring yet another facet of his design to his growing fan base here at Bloomingdale's."
Hand-crafted in the USA, the resulting Levi's Workwear by Billy Reid assortment showcases the Levi's brand's own workwear roots, incorporating utilitarian, highly functional styles, with Reid's refined yet modern tailoring. The highly-anticipated range will be introduced through exclusive events held at the Bloomingdale's store at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue in New York City, along with Reid's namesake boutique in lower Manhattan. Both events will coincide with the second annual Fashion's Night Out shopping extravaganza in New York City on September 10.
"In terms of inspiration, our idea was to focus on the workwear and outdoor categories from the early days of the Levi's brand. We were able to work with some incredible people in the Levi's archives and found an old work apron from the turn of the century, complete with all its natural wear, tear and stains. It just really seemed to stand out," offers winning designer, Billy Reid on the collaborative process.
"The apron became a true muse and its influence is present in each piece of the collection. For example, the hunting jacket has a removable — and fully functioning — pocketed, work apron on the inside, providing an internal game pouch. And we then used it to design the tote bag, which was developed by folding the apron into a bag shape."
For the third consecutive year, the Levi's brand has teamed with the winner of GQ's "Best New Menswear Designers in America" project to create a collaboratively-designed, exclusive collection that marries the winning designer's vision with Levi's denim and workwear heritage and the often-imitated, iconic Original 501 jean.
The highly-influential, New York-based menswear designer Billy Reid is the third annual recipient to be recognized through this competition which celebrates the groundbreaking work of up-and-coming American menswear fashion designers. The "Best New Menswear Designers in America" was founded by GQ in conjunction with The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in 2008.
"The idea was to take a specific assortment of hunting styles from our archives and to re-imagine and reconstruct them for the gamesman of today," said Carl Chiara, director of Men's and Women's Brand Concepts for the Levi's Brand, the Americas. "Each piece in the collection retains its original purpose but they become completely modern, not only through the precise tailoring and fit, but also through the choice of fabrics and finishing techniques we elected to use."
"We are always on the lookout for new and talented upcoming designers to add to our men's assortment, so we are thrilled to be a partner yet again in the Best New Designer in America program,"says Kevin Harter, Bloomingdale's Vice President of Men's Fashion Direction. "And as one of the first upscale retailers to carry the Billy Reid collection, we are excited to bring yet another facet of his design to his growing fan base here at Bloomingdale's."
