Two coveted brands on opposite sides of the Atlantic are joining forces to launch a new concept that overhauls traditional manufacturing and retail models.
Danish fashion brand Ganni is teaming up with Levi’s to collaborate on an exclusive upcycled rental-only capsule collection called Ganni and Levi’s “Love Letter.” The collaboration consists of three staple denim pieces: button-down shirt, 501 jeans and a shirt dress made from upcycled vintage Levi’s and repurposed denim.
“The beauty of good denim is it just gets better over time,” said Ditte Reffstrup, Ganni’s creative director. “This partnership is all about sharing that love for great denim and passing it on.”
The upcycled designs are an ode to the durability, longevity and heritage of Levi’s denim while incorporating Ganni’s playful Scandinavian signatures like patchwork and voluminous sleeves. The Ganni team handpicked each pair of vintage 501s for the project. Additionally, all styles have been created to be versatile and offer the wearer multiple styling options, including detachable collars and adjustable waistlines.
The size range for the shirt and dress is XS-XL. Jeans are available for sizes 24W/29L-32W/29L.
“Ganni was the perfect partner to bring this upcycled rental collection to life,” said Karyn Hillman, Levi’s chief product officer. “Our mutual love for denim and desire to creatively reconstruct vintage 501’s was an incredible jumping off point. We infused Ganni’s signature, beautiful spin into our repurposed denim icons, creating something completely new, and something timeless to be shared.”
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Sharing and storytelling bring the collection’s name “Love Letter” to life. Garments are outfitted with Near Field Communication technology-enabled size patches that, through the tap of a smartphone, unlocks the garment’s history and details about its prior renters. Renters will be able to enter a story about their denim experience and access content created by Ganni.
Upcycling denim is one of the several creative solutions jeans brands are exploring in an effort to extend the lifecycle of jeans to avoid landfills. Clothing rental, however, remains new territory for most, though brands and retailers like Mud Jeans, Urban Outfitters and H&M are experimenting with their own rental programs.
Ganni and Levi’s low-impact denim capsule is the first rental-only collection for both brands. The garments will be exclusively available through Ganni Repeat, the brand’s year-old rental platform, marking the first time the rental service is extended across Europe and the U.S. Rental prices range from $45-$145. Renters can choose to rent for one, two or up to three weeks, and soon they will have the option to rent the entire collection, Ganni stated.
With health and sanitization top priorities, the companies noted that all rented items are carefully checked and treated following strict cleaning methods. Each piece is cleaned and stored for 72 hours before being available to rent again. The entire washing process is environmentally efficient and meets the Nordic Swan label’s standards.
All rentals will be delivered in RePack reusable packaging to keep the cycle going as well. According to RePack, which has plans for long-term partnerships with both Levi’s and Ganni, using reusable packaging over single-use packaging can save up to 80 percent of C02 emissions.
This is the second co-branded collection Levi’s has released this year with an out-of-the-box concept.
In May, Levi’s connected with Hong Kong-based upcycled apparel company The R Collective to launch Denim Reimagined Project. The collection uses Levi’s inventory of irregular and leftover samples, as well as technology from software solutions provider Evrythng to create a digital roadmap of how the garment came to be through the supply chain.
The limited-edition collection includes garments with a scannable QR code on the label by trims supplier Avery Dennison that displays one of four messages related to the garment’s supply chain, eco-friendly washing tips, garment recycling information and the collection’s story.