By Marchelle Abrahams
Cape Town - I remember my very first pair of Levi’s. I was about 16 years old and had been saving for three months.
Three months of waking up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday and cleaning our home from top to bottom. My mother gave me about R50 pocket money for services done every week. I was pretty chuffed with myself and after making enough money, off to the local mall I went and requested a pair of blue 501s.
They were two sizes too big, but I loved my jeans. I wore them for three years - they were there for my very first taste of rebellion, my first kiss, my first break up, my first year out of high school.
Very few brands conjure feelings of emotion and nostalgia like Levi’s. There’s an emotion attached to it that transcends money. It was something that all cool kids during my generation aspired to attain. And even today, it’s a brand synonymous with cool.
A photo posted by Marchelle Abrahams (@marchelleabrahams) on May 11, 2016 at 4:14am PDT
This year is the 143th anniversary of the original Levi’s 501. It’s a major milestone for the company that was founded in North Carolina and today is one of the most recognisable brands in the world.
In 1873, Levi Strauss and Nevada tailor Jacob Davis partnered on a patent to make the first riveted pockets on pants for working western pioneers by using copper rivets at the points of strain.
This became the first iteration of the 501 jean, then called XX.
The famous jeans which are now known as 501's was only officially called this in 1890 when they were allocated lot numbers according to their designs.
In South Africa, the company is growing from strength to strength with the only owner-operated factory still in existence in Cape Town. it's been in operation for 22 years, and exports to various regions, including the rest of Africa, Mideast and Asia.
@LEVIS501 has evolved over 140 yrs. new 501 skinny on the way, original will always be there #WeAre501
@LEVIS proud of being proudly south african. Value the values, soul of brand #WeAreOriginal #WeAre501
— Renee Moodie (@IOLlifestyle) May 11, 2016
In celebration of Levi’s birthday, a select few from the media were invited to view a short documentary The 501® Jean: Stories Of An Original at the company's Cape Town headquarters. Overlooking the Mother City skyline, it’s a fitting home for a brand that still has the world at its feet.
Narrated by Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, the film is a three-part series, detailing the story of modern America with the Levi’s 501 at the centre. Exploring the worlds of work, style and rebellion, the film features interviews with pioneers such as Henry Rollins, John Baldessari, Scott Schuman, and others.
With its strong imagery and folksy soundtrack, the film tugs at your heartstrings, detailing the work and grit that goes into making a pair of 501s. It’s a journey into the heart of Levi’s and makes you want to go out and buy a pair, but mostly it makes you think of the power of branding - and that is something money can’t buy.
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Watch the short film: