Levi's Goes Green
The granddaddy of all denim brands isn’t changing its trademark red tab to a grassy green, but it is taking a new eco-friendly approach to blue jeans. Starting with the Fall 2006 collection, Levi Strauss & Co. will offer blue jeans made with 100 percent organic cotton.
Pulling styles from the premium Red Tab and super premium Levi’s Capital E lines, the new Levi’s Eco jeans will include the Vintage Straight and Skinny Slouch jeans for men and the Skinny and Twisted Skinny jeans for women. The line will use recycled buttons, rivets and zippers, and natural indigo dye to minimize its impact on the environment.
The eco-friendly line will subtly deviate from the San Francisco–based brand’s classic styling. Made with allorganic denim, or a significant percentage of it, Levi’s Eco jeans will feature natural-colored pocket stitching and an embroidered “e” inside the front pocket or on the right leg. The brand’s trademark tab will be made of natural canvas, and the classic “two horse patch” on the waistband will be rendered in 100 percent organic material.
The external packaging will continue the eco-conscious message with soy-based ink and recycled paper.
“With Levi’s Eco, consumers who seek to minimize their personal impact on the environment can choose jeans that demand less from the environment without forfeiting the style or quality they’ve come to expect from the Levi’s brand,” Robert Hanson, president of the company’s U.S. branch, said in a statement. Additional eco-friendly products are set to launch in spring 2007.
—Erin Barajas
