All-American denim brand Levi’s has rolled out a splashy collaboration with celebrity stylist Karla Welch (clients include Elisabeth Moss, Lorde, Tracee Ellis Ross, Justin Bieber to name a few) through her newly formed co-branding company, X Karla. The eight-piece capsule is part of the brand’s efforts to highlight its 501 Day campaign (not unlike Nike’s Air Max Day) and includes a reversible Sherpa jacket, wide-leg and pleated denim, a western shirt and a trucker jacket.
Setting the tone with a black and white campaign shot by Welch’s husband, Matthew Welch, the impressive roster of models includes SZA, Tracee Ellis Ross, Amber Heard, Amber Valletta, Hailey Baldwin, Yara Shahidi, Michelle Monaghan, Busy Philipps, Sarah Paulson, Holland Taylor, America Ferrera, Courtney Eaton, Ke’Andra “Coco” Samone, Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Lisa Love, Soko, Erica Cloud, Angela Davis, Carolyn Murphy, Mackenzie Davis, Natalie Manuel, Judy Greer, Sofia Boutella, Laura Brown and Yael Cohen Braun.
A portion of the profits from the capsule will be donated to Everytown, an organization dedicated to ending gun violence. Reflecting on the effort, Welch told Hollywood Reporter,”We’re in this superficial business, which I love, I think fashion is an art, but I do look at myself and say, ‘What am I just doing?” Welch explain So to be able to partner with the Levi’s Foundation to do social good was everything. That’s a new way of consumerism, to use your platform to do something meaningful. And when they agreed to donate to Everytown, I literally cried.”
The capsule was launched on May 16, 2018 at an event at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, where SZA, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Lauryn Hill performed.
The collection will go live on 501 Day, which takes place on May 20th. Items are priced from $150-$450 and will be available at select Levi’s stores, levis.com Dover Street Market in New York and xkarla.com.
