Next year, Levi’s will begin a 150-year commemoration of this global icon, which has undergone numerous variations during its long and distinguished history. Although the core pattern of button fly, straight leg, and Red Tab remains the same, each year sees a fresh, somewhat re-interpreted fit of the original 501® to coincide with our present cultural and stylistic moment. This year, it’s the Levi’s 501® ’90s jean, which taps into the comfort that so many people find in all things late ’90s. This Levi’s 501® wonderfully captures that late-’90s vibe, when looser – and even a little sloppy – meant just the right amount of attitude.
Collaborations In Southeast Asia
To commemorate the Original 501®’s past, present, and future – and to help launch its newest iteration in Asia, the 501® ’90s – Levi’s has teamed up with five visionaries from across Southeast Asia, each of whom perfectly embodies the spirit of the Original 501® and has a unique perspective that embraces the change required to inspire growth and personal evolution.
Diela Maharanie, an Indonesian artist and illustrator, Sheena Liam, a Malaysian model and embroidery artist, Yung Raja, a Singaporean rapper and songwriter, Pearypie, a Thai makeup artist extraordinaire turned Thai silk advocate, and Issa Pressman, a Filipino model, actress, and all-around creative, are all featured in the campaign. To capture the voice and spirit of Southeast Asia, each visionary will personalise a single pair of Original 501® jeans, which will journey across five nations from one visionary to the next before being exposed to the world at the 501® Day event in Thailand.
Representing Malaysia: Sheena Liam
Sheena Liam, a Malaysian visionary, gives her creative perspective to the cause by donating her trademark needlework art to The Travelling 501®. Sheena used embroidery as a form of self-expression while travelling around the world after winning the second season of Asia’s Next Top Model. Her art, which is based on the colourful island of Penang, investigates the self, hair, and its exclusive significance in women. Sheena weaves her art onto the Levi’s® 501® as the canvas with a needle and thread, combining her love for both fashion and art to create something special to commemorate 501® Day.
The 501 – A Classic
By the middle of the twentieth century, what began as a piece of highly durable workwear had evolved into one of the most iconic pieces of apparel ever manufactured. The Original 501® jean is all things to all people, which is why it’s so excellent for modification. It’s a badge of teenage defiance, a staple of casual style, and a canvas for creative self-expression.
But, above all, it is a catalyst that has altered our perceptions of clothing. It taught us that a single item may serve as a springboard for a person’s trademark style. The Travelling 501® perfectly embodies the essence of the original in that it transcends fads and has long symbolised easy cool through generations, whether it’s worn painted and customised, ’80s-style faded and narrow, ripped-up and baggy a la ’90s grunge, or “borrowed” dad-style. The Traveling 501®, on the other hand, emphasises that this applies beyond borders.
The new and refitted Levi’s 501® is now available in Malaysia. For more information, click here. Did you like this article? Then make sure to follow Glitz on Facebook and Instagram for more lifestyle-related information.
