Words About Things

Levi’s have one of the most recognizable jeans brand names worldwide. Alongside Wrangler they have a long history of selling denim which stretches back to when it was considered workwear rather than a fashion item. They sold jeans to hard-working farmer types and the sort of people who actually needed hard wearing trousers.

One thing Levi’s have struggled with is staying relevant. As their core consumer base aged they failed to move with the times. Having a rich heritage is one thing but any company who wishes to sell to successive generations needs to be light on it’s feet. The only innovation Levi’s came up with that I can think of was ‘twisted’ jeans and the less said about them the better.

Baggy jeans came and went as did skinny jeans but Levi’s keep flogging their dead horse named 501. The 1990s were tough for Levi’s as consumers seemed to want either more expensive designer jeans or cheap non brand alternatives. This time saw Levi’s outsource work to save on costs and there was controversy when their ‘made in the USA’ labels were stitched in by underpaid Chinese laborers.

In the last decade Levi’s has taken to filling lawsuits against anyone who make jeans deemed too similar to their trademarks. They apparently have ‘denim detectives’ who job is to search out new companies to sue. By 2007 Levi’s finances started to improve and they are hoping to continue this with their new advertising campaign.

“For we cannot tarry here,
We must march my darlings, we must bear the brunt of danger,
We the youthful sinewy races, all the rest on us depend,
Pioneers! O pioneers!”

The new advert features a poem by Walt Whitman called Pioneers! O Pioneers! read over footage of young people running around in the countryside in muddy jeans. The agency behind the advert are W+K who are trying to cast Levi’s as hard wearing, honest and maybe even pioneering:

The inaugural TV spot “America” sets the tone for the new campaign: America is going through a challenging time, but the American spirit of self-reliance will persevere.

There is of course also a website which aims to ‘paint a portrait of the voices in a changing country.’ and a print campaign shot by the young, credible photographer of choice Ryan Mcginley. Mcginley has just worked with Wrangler on their ‘We are animals’ campaign which also featured models getting muddy.

The use of Whitman’s stirring poem makes the advert simultaneously inspiring and a little bit sickening. It’s easy to get caught up in the words and the imagery but ultimately they are just flogging jeans. It takes some guts to align your product to an advert that seems to aim feel revolutionary, particularly when it’s such an old fashioned product.

Wonderbra have launched their latest strapless bra which is designed to work like a pair of hands. The Ultimate Strapless bra has four ‘fingers’ molded into each cup which are not visible from the outside. The bra is said to provide the same kind of support a woman experiences using her own hands. The new bra is available in sizes A-F and will be available at most lingerie retailers.

Wonderbra have spent two years working on their latest design testing materials and shapes. They have spent hundreds of hours testing prototypes:

“We conducted a comprehensive series of tests with real girls, which included dancing, bending, stretching and jumping, all designed to put the bra through its paces. This unique technology lifts the weight of the bust, supports and gives a trusted Wonderbra cleavage. We have created a groundbreaking garment giving women the perfect solution to the age old strapless bra problem.”

Tennis star Maria Sharapova became a live mannequin recently in London in order to model creations by students from the London College of Fashion. She became a temporary window display at Liberty in Carnaby Street. The clothes on display were inspired by the intersection between fashion and high tech design.

The event was the result of a design competition sponsored by Sony Ericsson. The winning entry, created by Georgie Davies, was a cocktail dress which lights up when the wearers phone rings.

“The open and creative brief allowed our students free reign to develop design ideas that are forward thinking,”

A new range of swimsuits have been designed that aim to prevent tan lines by letting sunlight through to the wearers skin. The range is made from a material that is full of tiny holes that let 80% of light in whilst preserving your modesty. The swimsuits feature bright, complex patterns designed to distract the eye so that the holes aren’t noticed.

Health experts have voiced concerns about the range which they believe may leave wearers at risk of contracting skin cancer. They point out that suncream must be worn underneath any articles of clothing that let light through.

“I think it is a dangerous idea and in the interests of vanity. We recommend UV protected clothing and this is the very opposite. Five people a day are diagnosed with malignant melanomas. It is a killer and affects more people here than in Australia.”

Richard Clifford, of ‘Skcin (The Karen Clifford Skin Cancer Charity)

We are increasingly being encouraged to avoid getting a sun tan at all with experts suggesting that it is safer to fake it than risk burning. John Walker of Kiniki who created the swimsuits suggests that wearers put on the same amount of suncream under their swimsuits as they would on completely exposed areas of their body to avoid burning.