Levi's Vintage Clothing

[Dr_Heech]

Picking up a pair of 47's offline for the old price today for future use, then I'm done with LVC for good. The new prices are ridiculous!

Aeroleather are still one of the cheapest if you live in/near the UK. Most styles are still under £120.

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[Dr_Heech]

Picking up a pair of 47's offline for the old price today for future use, then I'm done with LVC for good. The new prices are ridiculous!

Aeroleather are still one of the cheapest if you live in/near the UK. Most styles are still under £120.

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[setterman]

thanks for posting.

its so stupid that its so hard to find LVC stockists. I've never seen an official list of stockists in the US, and I've never even heard of one.

why is it so hard for them to create and maintain an LVC ( or even XX ) website? I'm sure the exposure created would certainly justify the resources used. most people have NO IDEA lvc even exists.

its like nobody at Levi's wants to LVC or XX succeed.

I emailed Levis last week with questions and comments about LVC, their response?

"Unfortunately, we are not currently offering our vintage line."

So you're right, to them LVC doesn't exist and they don't want it to succeed.

[setterman]

thanks for posting.

its so stupid that its so hard to find LVC stockists. I've never seen an official list of stockists in the US, and I've never even heard of one.

why is it so hard for them to create and maintain an LVC ( or even XX ) website? I'm sure the exposure created would certainly justify the resources used. most people have NO IDEA lvc even exists.

its like nobody at Levi's wants to LVC or XX succeed.

I emailed Levis last week with questions and comments about LVC, their response?

"Unfortunately, we are not currently offering our vintage line."

So you're right, to them LVC doesn't exist and they don't want it to succeed.

[DEFCHOICE]

Interview Regarding Levi's XX

http://www.sportswearnet.com/businessnews/pages/protected/QA-Maurizio-Donadi-on-the-global-dna-of-Levis-Vintage-Clothing_3275.html

[DEFCHOICE]

Interview Regarding Levi's XX

http://www.sportswearnet.com/businessnews/pages/protected/QA-Maurizio-Donadi-on-the-global-dna-of-Levis-Vintage-Clothing_3275.html

[DEFCHOICE]

New Tokyo Levi's XX concept store

http://hypebeast.com/2010/09/levis-xx-tokyo-concept-store/

[DEFCHOICE]

New Tokyo Levi's XX concept store

http://hypebeast.com/2010/09/levis-xx-tokyo-concept-store/

[Dom]

A couple interesting quotes from first article above.

-We have no campaign: zero advertising. We don’t need that. We are in the business of selling poetry. How can you advertise poetry?

-This is the new vintage. In the future these jeans will be the next collector’s items.

-We have the idea to establish a LVC blog in the next few months. It will be very consumer- interactive.

-Although LVC was born in 1999 it was never global. It was a much smaller selection of products and was distributed in different ways in Europe, Japan or the US. There was no consistency. There was a desire for that kind of product but it was never fully developed. So in 2009 Levi’s decided to open a new division called XX which is nothing more than a unit that takes care of and develops the top of the pyramid of Levis brands...

-As a kind of nickname, LVC is workwear and Made & Crafted is churchwear.

[Dom]

A couple interesting quotes from first article above.

-We have no campaign: zero advertising. We don’t need that. We are in the business of selling poetry. How can you advertise poetry?

-This is the new vintage. In the future these jeans will be the next collector’s items.

-We have the idea to establish a LVC blog in the next few months. It will be very consumer- interactive.

-Although LVC was born in 1999 it was never global. It was a much smaller selection of products and was distributed in different ways in Europe, Japan or the US. There was no consistency. There was a desire for that kind of product but it was never fully developed. So in 2009 Levi’s decided to open a new division called XX which is nothing more than a unit that takes care of and develops the top of the pyramid of Levis brands...

-As a kind of nickname, LVC is workwear and Made & Crafted is churchwear.

[roy6]

Also, apparently LVC has a new sub-line of items that are made LVC-style but not based on actual archived vintage Levi's articles. I guess the idea is to remove some of the constrictions in design/sizing that come with accurately reproducing old, worn in garments. Maybe to free up the designers hands to compete more effectively with the likes of RRL.

I think the tote bags and belts and a shirt I saw are all the sub-line, which seemed to all be labeled slightly differently- as "A Levi's historic reproduction" rather than directly as "LVC", but I'm not 100% sure about the labeling.

The shirt I saw, not pictured on the Unionmade site yet, was awesome. A sort of sand-colored nicely weathered slim-cut long-sleeve shirt with two deep chest pockets and a "customized" curved lower front placket like that of some of the Mister Freedom shirts (like the CPO). Fit was so perfect, I almost broke down and forked over the $200, but I just barely resisted.

Frankly, it was nicer than any LVC shirt made in recent memory.

Unionmade still doesn't have that shirt up on their website, but this one has the same label in it:

The tag reads "Vintage reproduction by Levi Strauss", and has "Levi's Vintage Clothing" in small print on the back. Not Made and Crafted, definitely, and not a straight-out LVC item.

I'd heard about this sub-brand last year and saw an illustrated catalog. Lots of duck stuff. Really nice looking.

If anyone at LVC happens to read this:

WAKE THE FUCK UP.

This stuff looks amazing- people would buy it if they knew you were making it. Not advertising poetry is all great and... well, poetic, but for Christ's sake put up a website. It's 2010.

[mikecch]

Selling poetry???

Mmm...I make love hearts at work then...

^ Agreed - if you don't advertise it, how the hell is someone like me in Australia going to know about it?

[devilish]

While I see the need for some publicity in this modern age we live in, the contrarian and collector in me kinda likes the fact that this stuff is harder to find. I know it will never really have a mass appeal but the exclusivity angle appeals to me. I think SUFU will end up discovering it and that would almost be enough, not enough to keep the brand going as far as Levis is concerned though I guess.

[Joseph Hill]

They're refusing to advertise, they're a 'destination' brand where we have to beg and scrape to find them at their 'church' where they're selling poetry and we get to worship their 'religion? Mr Donadi (I was going to say respectfully, but I'm having trouble spitting that one out) you may shove it with shoeshine where the sun don't shine. I guess I came late to this party. I wonder if Cultizm still has any of the old stuff still on sale in my size.

[ranonranonarat]

it looks to me like they're trying to market the whole LVC thing by letting it do the advertising themselves - through word of mouth, from people like us. it is almost like playing with fire, it could spark a massive amount of interest among the people like us when we consistently talk about it and put those words into dollars but it could also threaten the whole existence of LVC, the moment people stop giving a shit about it.

while i acknowledge the fact that there is a HUGE market and a huge following of LVC fans, i do see a point in time where they could just end up winding up the whole line the moment it becomes a huge liability to them to sustain it. the more marketing dollars they put into promoting it, the less likely they are to stop the line altogether and the reverse is true. with no marketing/advertsing dollar spent, what do they have to lose (if they decide to close down) if there is suddenly no more interest in them?

[ninja07]

levis may be trying to create a cult-ish brand following in LVC and keep it exclusive by trying to look like they don't care much about (or do not see the need to) advertising.

Maybe it is a reaction to what they themselves have done to the main Levis line - mass market audience and mediocre at best, appealing to the average man on the street. They could be doing the reverse now and steering away from that in order to preserve LVC as a 'premium' denim line.

[roy6]

^All true enough, but LVC already has rabid, cultish fans. Even we have no idea what the new subline is all about, or even what it's called and what items it's manufactured. I was hard pressed to tell which items from this season fell into Made & Crafted, LVC or the sub-brand when looking at them in the store.

Even the hang-tag catalogs that LVC used to provide, which were minimal but intriguing, would serve that purpose.

I appreciate that they may be trying a sort of reverse pr campaign here, but you at least have to acknowledge that a brand exists and give it some sort of designation and a mission statement before it can gain any sort of following. LVC hasn't even done that with this new venture.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised- LVC has always been an impeccably dressed idiot savant.

[Paul T]

Whatever the case, it's insane that their website doesn't have a basic product list, or some cool photos.

I have always had a soft spot for LVC, because when it comes down to it they do have the best choice of cuts and finishes of anyone outside Real McCoys and Warehouse, both of which are much more expensive (even at current LVC prices). But LVC have to realise the weight of propaganda arrayed against them. Their rivals have managed to position many of the Japanese brands as more niche and responsive, when arguably it's the opposite that's the case. Much of it is about having retailers who keep banging the drum, like Selfedge and Blue in Green, and I think this helps attract a younger audience for products that are in some cases inferior and higher priced.

Being cool, and not marketing yourself, might seem logical but to me it's staying in one's comfort zone. Levi's and Cone have a great product, and a great story, and more people need to know about it.

(with all of this I stress I'm also a fan of the Japanese jeans referenced, I would not want to reduce this to a Japanese vs American argument.)

[SLAB]

I really need to check out that Levis XX store next time in Japan...

that said, cut the crap and design a decent website that models your collection. This is 2010 and we're not actual miners searching for our loot. (except Sansome )

[L555BAT]

Picking up a pair of 47's offline for the old price today for future use, then I'm done with LVC for good. The new prices are ridiculous!

I wish I had got a few more pairs of 55's while they were on sale. I am never buying a pair of LVC again by the looks of it. They aint worth £215 that's for sure.

[LFC4ever]

"Although LVC was born in 1999 it was never global"

I bought my first pair in 1996 I believe.

In 1997 I was able, prior to a visit to the US to order (for a short while) directly from their mail order dept for delivery to a hotel.

In 2000 I bought some LVC in Capetown from a Levis Original store.

So, wrong date re the birth of the line and a strange definition of global, which I take to mean easily sourced from a large number of countries.....

[mikecch]

^ Didn't LVC Japan start out in the late 1980's?

[Paul T]

Levi's Japan were producing selvage reissues by 1987. Levi's America were making Capital E, boxed vintage reissues by 95 or so, and LVC was formed in 98 (Can't remember if first jeans came out in 98 or more likely 99).

[mikecch]

^ Thanks for knowledge!

[Charlie Delta]

a strange definition of global, which I take to mean easily sourced from a large number of countries.....

Believe global in this sense means that there is 1 division responsible for LVC globally, no more separate LVC US, Japan, and Europe.

[setterman]

Interview Regarding Levi's XX

http://www.sportswearnet.com/businessnews/pages/protected/QA-Maurizio-Donadi-on-the-global-dna-of-Levis-Vintage-Clothing_3275.html

That article is some of the dumbest fucking shit I've ever read.

"We have no campaign: zero advertising. We don’t need that. We are in the business of selling poetry. How can you advertise poetry?"

So, nothing has changed with LVC. They haven't had a marketing campaign, and other than their soon to be released blog (welcome to the current century) there will continue to be no marketing.

Selling poetry? Don't be so fucking full of yourself. You're selling jeans, and you have to let people know they exist if you're going to be able to sell them.

"We will have events like embroidery classes, music and seminars about denim. It’s a cultural space for the brand."

Embriodery class...... Really? "Cultural space?" Again, don't be so full of yourself. You've got a bunch of guys that want vintage style jeans, shirts, and jackets, they want them in their size, and they don't want to have to scour the internet to find them. My life has enough frustration as is, I don't need one of my fucking denim brands thinking they're so quaint and special that they don't need to keep me informed of their products, and I have to search them out. And I don't need exclusivity, I'm already the only guy in at least a hundred mile radius wearing LVC or MiJ denim.

Sorry, but this article really raised my blood pressure and has steam coming out my ears. Makes me want to raise a big middle finger at Levis, and their LVC/XX snobs.

Embriodry class.... Jesus! When Self-Edge has an event, it's bands, booze, and denim. Embroidry class?!?! That's what 70 year old women do to pass the time! And make quilts!

[beefcake]

http://www.sneakersnstuff.com/levis_vintage

those guys have got quite a lot of LVC stuff. if you didn't know. sounded like you have trouble finding stuff...

[setterman]

http://www.sneakersnstuff.com/levis_vintage

those guys have got quite a lot of LVC stuff. if you didn't know. sounded like you have trouble finding stuff...

I look to cultizm to keep up to date with the line. My complaint has always been that you can't go onto a Levis or an LVC website, and see the entire line up (rather that seeing bits and pieces at various stockists) and make purchases directly from them. And when you try to commicate with Levis about LVC you get "it doesn't exist". You're unable to give any feedback about the brand, or ask any questions. My experience the past four years is that they have a backward way of producing and selling their product, and when I hear the new boss of LVC basically say that's going to continue, it just adds to my dissappointment with the brand. Hopefully they do get their blog up and running, so each season can be viewed in full, and consumers can communicate directly with the people producing the product.

[LFC4ever]

Levi's Japan were producing selvage reissues by 1987. Levi's America were making Capital E, boxed vintage reissues by 95 or so, and LVC was formed in 98 (Can't remember if first jeans came out in 98 or more likely 99).

I'm taking a big risk here (!!!!!) but the first time heard about the LVC brand was at a Levi's shop in Boston in December 1996 (LVC may have been established as a separate entity in 1998 of course) when they told me a new vintage line was being released in early 1997. This turned out to be the 3 jackets, the 3 jeans, (1955, 1962, 1937) and the western sawtooth shirt. I thought these were the first LVC branded products, all made at Valencia St. Initially all raw, then some rinsed versions appeared. I'd had a number of the Capital E jeans before that but wasn't a big fan. Some of my LVC jeans have manufacturing date of 09/96.

[LFC4ever]

Believe global in this sense means that there is 1 division responsible for LVC globally, no more separate LVC US, Japan, and Europe.

Ah, thanks. But apparently they don't want anyone to know it exists!