Levi Celebrates Their 150th Anniversary
2023 marks the 150th anniversary of Levi’s® 501® jeans, an enduring icon of global style that is synonymous with musical movements and groundbreaking sounds. It also marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of the beloved musical genre, movement, and culture known around the world as hip-hop. Since the beginning, Levi’s® 501® jeans have been there.
To celebrate the dual anniversaries, Levi’s® is joining forces with Rolling Loud, the first and largest global hip-hop music festival, as their first ever global partner. The Levi’s® x Rolling Loud global partnership will feature a special capsule collection of merchandise for the Rolling Loud festivals and a special 501® Day celebration on May 20th – the date in 1873 when Levi Strauss & Co. was granted a patent on the process of riveting pants – featuring four club concerts in four different cities; Tokyo, Paris, London, and Oakland.
This is an exciting opportunity to bring beloved artists to more intimate venues for unique performances. We’re proud to announce Little Simz will be headlining Koko in Camden in London on May 20th. Tickets for the London 501® Day club show go live today 28th April at ROLLINGLOUD.COM/LEVIS501 and cost £37.50. Members of the Levi’s® Red Tab™ program – which offers exclusive early access to the latest collabs, limited edition launches, and sales – receive exclusive access to merchandise and experience at the festivals and shows. Additionally, members will have the chance to win tickets by downloading the Levi’s® app, create an Levi’s® Red Tab™ account and sign up on this exclusive competition in the account section.
When hip-hop first emerged from New York City house parties 50 years ago, many of its pioneering artists sported Levi’s®. Over the years, hip-hop icons have made 501® jeans an indispensable element of their wardrobe. As hip-hop grew to a worldwide genre and Rolling Loud grew alongside it, Levi’s® have been there for every step of the journey.
“As we commemorate the 150th anniversary of Levi’s® historic 501® jeans, we’re thrilled to partner with Rolling Loud to support the artists, enhance the fan experience, and reflect on hip-hop’s incredible historical journey,” said Mark Foxton, Head of Global Partnerships and Collaborations at Levi Strauss & Co. “No festival brings together more people to celebrate the culture of hip hop than Rolling Loud and no piece of fashion has been as central to hip-hop as the 501® jeans. Through exclusive merchandise and unique activations, we truly want to amplify the authentic connections at these incredible festivals and shows.”
Style and fashion have always been cornerstones of hip-hop as a culture. The London 501® Day club show will feature a special Levi’s® x Rolling Loud capsule collection with limited-edition merchandise designed by local partners.
“For years, Levi’s® have been the uniform for both the fans in the crowd and the artists on stage at Rolling Loud,” said Rolling Loud Founders Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif. “Because so many of our fans are there for the music as well as the merch, we’re excited to have one of the most influential apparel brands of all time design special clothing for each event. We’re also honored to serve asLevi’s® first global partner and to celebrate history by bringing Rolling Loud events to new cities.”
