Fashion trends rarely have a positive impact on the environment, but that tide is changing. With the popularity of thrifting and mending rising, young cohorts are doing their part to extend the life of their garments as well as invest in items that can stand the test of time.
Levi’s spring campaign, “Buy Better, Wear Longer,” underscores this message by raising awareness about the shared responsibility on the environmental impacts of apparel production and consumption. The multiplatform global campaign fuses Levi’s commitment to making long-lasting clothing with the stories of six young influnencers and activists.
Between 2000 and 2020, global clothing consumption doubled, Levi’s stated. Consumers have more clothing in their closets, but wear each garment fewer times and toss clothing out “far too quick” compared with 15 years ago. This fast-fashion mentality is counter to Levi’s wares, which are intended to be “worn for generations, not seasons,” said brand president Jennifer Sey.
Through the campaign, Sey said the brand will encourage consumers to be more intentional about their apparel choices, whether that means wearing clothing longer, shopping for pre-owned denim through Levi’s SecondHand or using Levi’s Tailor Shops to repair garments.
“You experience the difference when you have jeans that have been through it all with you, or when you go thrifting for secondhand jeans,” said Paul Dillinger, Levi’s VP of product innovation. “A pair of Levi’s holds up better, and holds its value longer. It’s both a physical and an emotional durability that we strive to offer consumers by investing in quality and designing for lasting value.”
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Buy Better, Wear Longer also encapsulates Levi’s ongoing efforts to drive more sustainable production practices by driving ambitious climate and water action and by investing in materials and technologies such as cottonized hemp.
The campaign features Jaden Smith, a longtime Levi’s partner and co-founder of Just Water; English soccer player and advocate for underserved communities Marcus Rashford, and Emma Chamberlain, a YouTuber that promotes thrifting and secondhand clothing.
It also features Melati Wijsen, a 20-year-old Indonesian social entrepreneur; Xiye Bastida, an environmental activist from San Pedro Tultepec, Mexico, a town stricken by both drought and floods; and Xiuhtezcatl, an Indigenous climate activist and hip-hop artist who blends music with environmental justice.
“As a company that has celebrated pioneers and aspired to bring inventive environmental solutions to the market, we saw our voice in these young leaders,” Sey said. “Change will come if we all work together and we’re humbled to partner with them in reducing our collective impact on the planet.”