Source: Fashion Newspaper
July 2010
Interactive Workshops Open Doors in San Francisco this July and New York City later this Fall
Since its inception in 1873 as one of the original purveyors of American workwear, the Levi’s® brand has been the uniform of choice for great American pioneers. Levi’s® jeans have been worn by the craftsmen, laborers and artisans who helped define the cultural landscape in America and have shaped the energy and events of our times. This week, the Levi’s® brand celebrates a new generation of pioneers and creative communities across the country with the launch of Levi’s® Workshops. Taking a new, innovative approach to integrating community involvement with retailing, the first Levi’s® Workshop debuts this week in San Francisco followed by a second expression of the program later this fall in New York City. The Levi’s® Workshops will be multi-use spaces, featuring a functional workshop, community event space and retail storefront. Each Workshop is designed to focus on a specific craft including printmaking in the San Francisco Workshop and photography in the New York City shop.
The Levi’s® Workshops will serve as community-based extensions of the brand’s Go Forth marketing campaign, paying homage to the principles of hard work and civic engagement. Central to the Workshop program will be collaborations with recognized pioneers from each community. For eight weeks, each Levi’s® Workshop will open its doors to the general public and host a range of interactive demonstrations, educational programming and events.
The first of the Levi’s® Workshops will open to the public this week in San Francisco’s Mission district, just down the street from one of Levi’s® original factories. Located at 580-582 Valencia Street, the Workshop will feature letterpress, silkscreen and photocopy equipment for local artists and designers to create their own print-based artwork. Community groups and non-profit organizations will also be invited to access these resources and work with the Workshop staff. The space will also offer Levi’s® denim and workwear product that embodies the spirit and craft of print design.
To leverage the energy of the Levi’s® Workshops, the brand has invited local pioneers to execute printmaking-based collaborations including:
– Alice Waters – chef, author and proprietor of Chez Panisse Restaurant in
Berkeley, California. Waters is also the Vice President of Slow Food
International and a leader of the culinary philosophy based on using
only the freshest organic products served in season. Waters’ commitment
to education led to the creation of The Edible Schoolyard, a one-acre
garden and adjacent kitchen classroom at Berkeley’s Martin Luther King
Jr. Middle School which has grown into a national program. For her
collaboration with the Levi’s® Workshops, Waters is working with a
longtime design collaborator to create an educational poster for the
Edible Schoolyard. “Levi’s® is bringing together art, food and the
local community,” said Alice Waters. “This is what Chez Panisse has
always been about and what excites me most about the Levi’s®
Workshops.”
– Craig Newmark – an Internet entrepreneur best known for founding the San
Francisco-based website Craigslist.org, a site where people can help
each other with everyday needs including housing and jobs searches. The
site embraces a culture of trust, based on shared values. Newmark’s
resume includes thirty years working with computers for leading
companies including IBM, GM, Charles Schwab & Co., and Bank of America.
Newmark has partnered with the Levi’s® Workshops, combining his
expertise in digital media with manual printmaking to share powerful
messages.
– Aaron Rose – artist, film director, curator and writer. Rose directed
the documentary film Beautiful Losers (2008) and recently completed the
short documentary film Become a Microscope based on the life of the
1960s artist/activist nun Sister Corita. Rose’s publishing imprint
Alleged Press releases hardcover books by contemporary artists.
Levi’s® Workshops celebrates his pioneering work as an advocate for
positive creative voices in the arts. “I am thrilled to be able to
bring the work of Sister Corita to the Levi’s® Workshops in San
Francisco,” said Rose. “Corita is a huge inspiration to me, and
hopefully will have the same effect on the people who take part in our
workshop.”
“The Levi’s® Workshops celebrate the pioneering spirit and hard work of people and organizations that we admire,” said Joshua Katz, head of Collaborations, Partnerships & Creative Concepts for the Levi’s® brand. “It’s all about community, creativity and collaboration. Through the programming, the various production projects and the public resources that we are providing, we are able to collaborate with local heroes who have mastered their craft while inviting in the broader community to roll up their sleeves and get to work.”
Levi’s® Workshops will encourage global involvement through a dedicated website, various social media platforms and syndicated daily content. The website will launch alongside the San Francisco Workshop in early July. Original content supported by articles from renowned guest bloggers will be posted daily, in addition to updates on Twitter, Facebook and Flickr. Supporting the written content will be a series of films highlighting the spirit of the Levi’s® Workshops. These films will be a catalyst for
spreading the message of the Levi’s® Workshops while documenting the activity happening inside each environment. The website will also include opportunities to purchase Levi’s® products offered in the Levi’s® Workshops. For more information about Levi’s® Workshops and a full list of events, please visit http://workshops.levi.com.
About The Levi’s® Brand
The Levi’s® brand epitomizes classic American style and effortless cool. Levi’s® jeans were invented by Levi Strauss & Co. in 1873 and have since become one of the most recognized and imitated clothing items in the world – capturing the imagination and loyalty of people for generations. Today, the Levi’s® brand portfolio continues to evolve through a relentless pioneering and innovative spirit that is unparalleled in the apparel industry. Our range of leading jeanswear and accessories are available in more than 110 countries, allowing individuals around the world to express their personal style. For more information about the Levi’s® brand, its products and stores, please visit http://www.levi.com.
