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501 & Only

Levi’s is thriving, with a newly surging D.T.C. model, a fitness apparel line, and a timely cross-genre partnership with Cowboy Carter, herself. Then again, there’s never been an easier time to sell American jeans. Is Levi’s really meeting the moment, or just getting lucky?

beyonce Levi’s
If you went looking for a powerful, impromptu brand ambassador, you could do a lot worse than Beyoncé, the global genre-bending pop queen who’s been reclaiming her Texas country roots in her Levi’s cutoffs. Photo: Courtesy of Levi’s
Sarah Shapiro
April 22, 2025

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While many in the fashion and retail business are busy debating the revival of mall brands, one heritage business has been steadily staging its own quiet renaissance—without ever having gone away. The cultural dominance of Levi Strauss & Co., the Gold Rush–era workwear brand, has ebbed and flowed with the times, from disco to low-rise to a hipster preoccupation with Japanese selvidge. But it’s always been the undisputed leader of American denim.