It is a truth universally acknowledged that a pair of Levi’s 501 jeans has more than nine lives. To further elongate the lifespans of repurposed jeans and to create new designs, the venerable company built a garment facility called the Eureka Innovation Lab in San Francisco. The lab, created by Levi Strauss & Co. enables designers, production, and sourcing teams to develop fits and finishes, hone craftsmanship, and explore new sustainability initiatives for the denim they produce. Fittingly, with the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival just days away, Levi’s Senior Vice President of Design Jonathan Cheung says the Levi’s Tailor Shop (inside the Eureka Lab) has cut and sewn a limited edition run of 100 pairs of 501 cutoffs for festival guests. “We handpicked each pair from made-in-the-USA vintage 501s,” says Cheung. “We know the month and year that each pair was made and in what US city. They date from 1984 to 1998, and what’s extra special about them is that they were bought as rigid, raw denim jeans. So the previous owner went through the whole shrink-to-fit process and you see the results in the way they have all faded.” Each pair of cutoffs was customized at the Bay Area lab and outfitted with an extra label marking its newest incarnation. How many pairs of 501s are in your closet waiting for the Eureka treatment?

By Elizabeth Varnell

Pictured: Alexa Chung at the 2013 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival wearing Vintage Levi’s 501 cutoffs.
Photo by David X Prutting/BFAnyc.com

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