The Levi's® XX Project Captures Global Attention

──Please tell us about the background of the Levi's® XX project.

This project began three years ago. Levi's® is a premium brand that has existed since the late 19th century (1873). This project, Levi's® XX (Levi's® Double X), is an independent business entity based in Amsterdam. This is a first in Levi's® history and positions us as a foundational figure for premium brands. Radically speaking, Levi's® is focusing on two brands. While there are many brands in the world today, Levi's® has closed most of its stores across Europe, America, and Asia, with the exception of Levi's® Vintage Clothing™ (LVC) stores. Previously, we operated independently in America, Europe, and Asia, but we integrated everything to launch Levi's® Vintage Clothing®. Subsequently, we launched the Levi's® MADE & CRAFTED™ (LMC) brand. We are now concentrating on these two brands.


──What is the difference between Levi's®' regular lines and Double X?

The interesting point of this project is that it's a creative business completely independent from Levi Strauss & Co. We operate separately from Levi's® main line. In fact, the collections for Levi's® Vintage Clothing™ and Levi’s® Made & Crafted ™ are designed by a dedicated team within Levi’s® XX, a newly established business unit of Levi Strauss & Co. responsible for the design, marketing, sales, and retail of premium brands worldwide.

──Why Amsterdam?

That's a good question (laughs). It's actually a very good place for conducting creative business. Large global companies need innovation centers. It's better for these centers to be located away from headquarters to maintain a certain distance. Amsterdam is an excellent location for generating creative ideas. Many creators are indeed based in Amsterdam. We need to focus on building the brand's world, and the city's creative atmosphere is very conducive to that.

Since LVC is about reproduction, we don't design or create anything new. Our mission is to faithfully recreate past items. It's a form of craftsmanship that tells a historical story. When we need to create something, we visit the archives in San Francisco.

LMC is completely different from LVC. Instead of San Francisco, we draw inspiration and ideas from various places around the world. While we have knowledge of American lifestyles, we add a global flavor to it. Amsterdam is just 45 minutes from London, and Milan is an hour by plane. I travel to Paris for business every two weeks. From Amsterdam, it's easy to reach these cities. We also travel to many other places, such as Berlin, Los Angeles, and in Asia, Japan and Hong Kong. Amsterdam has one of the world's major airports, so many flights transit here.

──What kind of brand is Levi’s® Made & Crafted™?


It's a casual line that expresses a modern lifestyle, embodying quality, timelessness, diversity, and simplicity. In a world that moves at breakneck speed, we favor simplicity while simultaneously seeking modernity that is in tune with the times. It is a brand that truly symbolizes the era, constantly pursuing integrity in quality, innovation, and modernity.

It creates essential items for modern lifestyles using Levi's®' craftsmanship. This is an unprecedented and innovative endeavor for Levi's®.

(Showing a book) This is our office in Amsterdam. It was originally the Olympic Stadium from 1928. We want LMC to be as creative as possible. It's always in progress, with no end in sight. As a brand that carries the future of Levi's®, we are currently experimenting with various approaches.

The details in LMC use very old, traditional elements, but they are reinterpreted in a modern way. The balance between old and new is what makes it interesting. Details like the red selvage and pockets are all vintage, but the fit is modern. LVC has both vintage details and fit. This pair of pants has vintage details like a cinch back, but the fit is slim, almost skinny. We incorporate elements from the past. We create a total look, excluding shoes.

──What is your role?

I'm not a designer, but I'm involved with the creative team. It's difficult to explain, but I can't define my own job (laughs). I'm not an expert in any one thing. You could say I oversee everything. Think of me as someone who wants to make Levi's® better.

Levi's® is a very unique brand. It's hard not to like Levi's®. Even if you were a designer for another brand, you might wear Levi's® on the weekend. There aren't many brands that are that neutral. It's unique in that sense.

──Do you have shows?

We don't have shows. We're more interested in trade shows. We've been participating in joint exhibitions like Pitti Immagine Uomo in Florence, Bread & Butter in Berlin, Project in Las Vegas, and Tranoi in Paris since January 2010.

──Do you have a message for OPENERS readers?


Within the Levi's® market, I believe this XX project is very interesting. There are two objects. One is the history of Levi's®, and the other is about predicting the future, not the past. In terms of products, the former is LVC, and the latter is LMC. Please enjoy the XX project, which moves forward with both the past and the future.

Maurizio Donadi
Senior Vice President, Levi's® Double X
With over 30 years of experience in the fashion and lifestyle industry, Maurizio Donadi has cultivated his unique expertise alongside globally successful brands such as Benetton, Diesel, Giorgio Armani, and Ralph Lauren, as well as their founders. Donadi's extensive global knowledge is applied to a wide range of global expansion strategies, including the strategy for product design teams, branding, retail, wholesale, logistics, and marketing. A strategist for brand innovation and an enthusiastic, passionate team leader, he spearheads unique creativity and strategic vision both locally and globally for short-term and long-term market success and growth. Donadi currently resides in Amsterdam and leads the worldwide Levi's® Double X division.

Levi's® XX(Levi's® Double X)
2-23-7 Nishi-Azabu,
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0031
Tel. 03-6418-5501