On May 20th, 1873, a young San Francisco company was granted a patent on the process of riveting pants which would eventually become known as the 501® jeans. 150 years later, these same pants have entrenched themselves as one of the most enduring icons of global style and the original template from which all other jeans have descended. For the biggest moment of its year-long celebration of the 150th anniversary, the Levi’s® brand will launch an immersive activation to honor the beloved 501® jeans and the brand’s long-standing association with San Francisco, it’s birth city. Open to the public beginning May 19 through May 27 at San Francisco’s historic Skylight at the Armory, the 501® Experience will feature an archival museum, opportunities for custom pieces, a hometown marketplace, and so much more.
Meanwhile in Manila, the immersive 501® Experience comes to life at the Mall of Asia Central Atrium, a location that will house a day of exploring, designing and shopping—an interactive event that celebrates one of the most well-loved articles of clothing in history.
“Since its creation in 1873, Levi’s® 501® jeans have not only become a staple of fashion but have also carved a permanent place in our cultural history,” said Charisse Chua, Country Manager at Levi Strauss Philippines, Inc. Indeed, the 501® is an ever-expanding story – written and rewritten by everyone who wears them. It is a collection of characters, events, ambitions, and memories from everyday heroes to unbelievable icons. A living, breathing saga with so much depth and no visible end in sight. It is indeed, the greatest story ever worn.
Adding to the inspirational history of the incredible 501® jean is the addition of its newest faces, the phenomenal South Korean girl group NewJeans. The freshest personalities to represent a significant part of denim, fashion and pop culture history, New Jeans runs parallel to the 501® as a bonafide cultural icon, using musical movements and groundbreaking sounds to make an enduring statement.
The persistence of the 501® as a true classic jean has also been due to the ability to constantly reimagine itself. The original style may be 150 years old, but Levi’s boldly explores modern spin-offs to the 501® by playing with fits, washes and colors. Next month, the cropped version of the 501® Original for Women, the 501® Original and the 501® Shorts will all come in new colorways. Additionally, the 501® Shorts for Men and 501® ‘93 Shorts, as well as the 501® Mid-Thigh Shorts will also be released this June.
Levi’s Philippines extends the 501® Experience to the digital space as well, by launching a contest that encourages aspiring content creators to talk about their Greatest Story Being Made. In this contest, they are tasked to make a 1-minute pitch video demonstrating their passion and what they require to make their own “Greatest Story.” They should register via the official Google form and upload their video on TikTok, with the hashtag #GreatestStoryEverWornPH and #150Yearsof501. Every week, a greatest passion story will be chosen where the creator will win a pair of their own Levi’s 501® pair, and at the end of the contest, the greatest passion story video out of all the entries will win a P150,000 funding to create the Greatest Story they described in their pitch.
Alongside the 501® Experience in Manila, Levi’s® and Rolling Loud are celebrating 501® Day on May 20th with special club shows in San Francisco, Tokyo, Paris, and London. The culmination of the brand’s global celebrations of 501® Day, NewJeans will also celebrate 501® Day in Seoul with a live performance.
