Levi Strauss & Co.

Levi Strauss & Co. (/ˌliːvaɪ ˈstraʊs/) or also Levi's (/liːˈvaɪs/) is an American publicly traded clothing producer, known worldwide for the brand Levi's of jeans. It was founded in San Francisco, California (United States) in 1853 by Levi Strauss, an immigrant of Jewish origin from Buttenheim, in the region of Franconia, in the federal state of Bavaria, in southern Germany.

Sales revenue in 2018 amounted to USD 5.6 billion, and it has more than 15,100 employees.

History

Levi Strauss, was born in Bavaria in 1829. In 1853 during the Gold Rush, he moved to the city of San Francisco (United States) to open a business selling clothes, boots and other articles to small shops in the american west. At that time, there was a great demand for resistant work clothes, by miners, farmers and ranchers. Levi Strauss, manufactured cotton jeans, although these pants had a problem and that is that the miners, when putting their tools in the pockets tore at the fabric.

In 1872, Jacob Davis, a Russian-born Jewish tailor based in Reno, Nevada, partners with Levi Strauss to create and patent workwear reinforced with copper rivets, made from brown canvas of cotton and original blue denim fabric.

On May 20, 1873, the US Patent and Trademark Office grants patent no. 139,121 to Levi Strauss & Co. and Jacob Davis for their invention of studded jeans. This is how the jeans or blue jeans, initially called “XX”, were born. In 1886, they invented the company logo, which is two horses attached to Levi's brand pants, pulling in the opposite direction to demonstrate the hardness and resistance of these pants. As of the early 21st century, that logo is still printed on many of the company's garments, as well as all of the company's pants. the brand, on a leather plate located on the back of the pants. In 1890, the iconic "501" pants appear for the first time. In 1902, Levi Strauss died, and his four grandchildren took over the business.

On April 18, 1906, the headquarters and two factories of Levi Strauss & Co. are destroyed by the San Francisco earthquake and the fires it produced. The new factory was built at 250 Valencia Street.

In 1909, khaki pants and jackets began to be marketed; and in the year 1912 LS&Co. launches children's dungarees on the market, a resistant one-piece jean garment that is ideal for playing.

In 1918, the brand launched "Freedom-Alls". A unique garment (tunic-trousers) designed to give women freedom of movement and provide them with more comfortable clothing than was available at that time for women. In 1928 LS&Co. registers the name Levi's as a trademark.

In the 1930s the real "cowboys" wearing Levi's jeans rise to mythical status, and this western outfit becomes synonymous with freedom and independence. People from the East who wanted an authentic cowboy experience went to the ranches in the West, where they bought their first pair of Levi's jeans, which they showed back home to their friends, helping to spread the influence of the West to the rest of the world. country.

In 1934, the first women's jeans, Lady Levi's, were made from pre-shrunk denim and built with many of the same features as men's 501 jeans. They owe their femininity to a stylishly fitted, high waist.

In 1936 the "Red Tab" it is placed for the first time in the right back pocket of jeans, and the word LEVI'S is embroidered in capital letters and in white only on one side. The red tag is intended to differentiate Levi's jeans from those of the competition.

In the 1950s, jeans were banned in some schools, especially in the East, as a bad influence. The portrait of "juvenile delinquents" in jeans from movies on TV led many school principals to ban this garment in class for fear that wearing the rebellious uniform would prompt students to act against any kind of authority.

In 1961, the new slimmer silhouettes of the 1960s inspired the Slim Fit, five-pocket pants for young boys that teenagers called white Levi's.

In 1967, the Levi's hallmark was created, the red house brand in the shape of bat wings, designed by Walter Landor & Associates.

In 2002, Levi Strauss began a close business collaboration with Walmart, producing a special line of "Signature" and other apparel for sale exclusively in Walmart stores through 2006. Levi Strauss leads the apparel industry in trademark infringement cases, filing nearly 100 lawsuits against competitors since 2001.

In February 2019, the company announced its return to the stock market after 39 years as a private company, and on March 20 of the same year the company announced the price of the public sale offer, beginning to trade two more days late on the New York Stock Exchange at the price of $17 a share, under the symbol "LEVI".

Cultural Impact

Levi's have been worn by people from all walks of life, from miners to actors and Nobel Prize winners, from Marlon Brando to Albert Einstein himself, whose leather jacket was made by Levi Strauss & Co in the 1930s and sold at Christies auction house in July 2016 for £110,500.