Levi's and Valentino Have Partnered Up to Make Your Dream Denim

Valentino’s creative director, Pierpaolo Piccioli, has staked his reputation at the Italian fashion house on some extremely clever collaborations—including with Birkenstock, Onitsuka Tiger and UNDERCOVER—but this most recent one may be the best yet.

Appearing on the Spring/Summer 2021 runway in September last year, this collaboration, with legacy denim brand Levi’s is centred on two special jeans based on the classic 517 style.

Levi’s 1969 517 jeans were a bootcut cowboy style, sometimes called “the Saddleman”, that were an instant hit with denim fans around the world. The jeans have a classic mid to high rise waist and a gentle flare out from the knee. A timelessly cool silhouette, if you ask us.

Now, Valentino has released two exclusive lines in collaboration with Levi’s: The re-edition model and the vintage model.

The re-edition is a true reproduction of the original style, featuring special co-branding dual logo patches, and washing and paint splatter techniques.

The vintage line, however, is made of upcycled original ’70s 517 jeans. If you're interested in these remakes, you need to act fast. The line is limited to just 517 pieces. The pre-worn jeans have been reinforced and adorned with special patches to create pants that are truly one-of-a-kind.

This collaboration is evidently not an exclusive arrangement, as both brands are concurrently partnering with other brands. In our books, the more collabs the better!

Valentino has partnered with We’re Not Really Strangers, a card game designed to inspire more meaningful conversations and connections by asking profound questions.

On the other side of things, Levi’s has partnered with streetwear brand Denim Tears to create a line designed to tell the story of the cotton-picking slaves with a classic trucker jacket, a pair of signature 501s, graphic t-shirts and a hand-stitched plantation hat, as well as a short film.

Pieces from the Levi’s X Valentino collaboration, which is intended to be an ongoing one, are available online at Valentino’s website, its physical stores and selected boutiques.

Move quickly if you want to get your hands on a piece of denim history.