The exciting collaboration between Levi’s and Tremaine Emory, the man behind Denim Tears, brings together two fashion houses, combining meaningful storytelling with fashion in a two-year partnership.
Artist, musician, fashion designer, nightlife curator – Tremaine Emory’s creativity knows no boundaries. At his core, the multi-hyphenate talent is a storyteller and with Levi’s® x Denim Tears Season 2, Emory continues to viscerally explore America’s chequered past with race and injustice, through an artistic framework he calls ‘conceptual conceptualism’.
The newest collaboration features shades of indigo and graphic patterns, meant to express what Emory calls a visual mnemonic. The collection examines the story of the Gullah Geechee people – descendants of Africans who were enslaved on the plantations of the lower American Atlantic coast. Known for its production of indigo, that region had a large slave population during the 18th century thanks mainly to the British demand for indigo-dyed workwear – at the time, the U.K. was the largest importer of indigo-dyed fabric. For this collection, Emory has re-contextualized the history of the Gullah Geechee, creating a 3-piece capsule collection that focuses on embracing the culture, history, and experiences of these enduring people.
Levi’s® x Denim Tears Season 2:
All items are 100% cotton.
- Indigo Hands 501® Jean
- Indigo Hands Levi’s® Type II Jacket
- Indigo Hands Hat
The collection focuses on the unrelenting indigo dyeing process that the Gullah slaves were forced to endure. Featuring an all-over print of indigo hands on white denim, each piece is meant to symbolize the way a slave’s hands would turn blue while working with the indigo dye. Along with this, the colour scheme of the collection also offers an homage to the colour-coded cues taken from the Kofa Mata Dye pits in Kano, Nigeria, known for its indigo dyeing since the 15th century.
Co-branded elements include a special Red Tab featuring “Tears” on the back of the Tab, with “Levi’s®” stitched in white on the front, as well as a special Levi’s® x Denim Tears backpatch combining the classic Two-Horse pull logo along with “Denim Tears” floral print logo.
The Levi’s® x Denim Tears Season 2 collection is available on Denimtears.com and Levis.co.nz
