Classic jeans labels lose to celebrity brands

July 29th 2008

by admin

A younger generation of buyers is reluctant to buy Levi Strauss, Wrangler and Lee and prefers jeans collections of celebs-turned-designers like Victoria Beckham, P Diddy, Rachel Bilson, and others.

Though being on market since 1870 and becoming the must-have denims in the 1980s, the Levi Strauss Company is looking old-fashioned losing a massive part of its costumers to celebrity designer brands. Classic cowboy labels such as Wrangler and Lee are struggling to hold their own in the market too.

In 2008 denim is more likely to be found on the red carpet than at the coalface. Sales of Victoria Beckham’s line for Rock and Republic are reported to be strong.

The OC actress Rachel Bilson is presently co-designing a collection of jeans for DKNY, rapper LL Cool J will launch his denim line this fall to meet another rapper P Diddy on the market.

Meanwhile, boosted by celebrity support, newer premium jeans labels such as Citizens of Humanity, J Brand, 7 For All Mankind and Paper Denim and Cloth are becoming really popular. Nicole Richie, Jessica Alba and Kate Moss are rarely seen out of their J Brand jeans, and the company has just launched a new collection aimed at curvier women.

If brands are really popular with one generation, then the next won’t want to wear them. Kids just don’t want to wear the same jeans as their dads.” said David Pyne, UK manager for Tommy Hilfiger.

Many of the older brands are not as well fitted to the body as other newer ones. Girls want their bum lifted, their stomach flatter, their thighs thinner, and with the new advances in denim, the jeans feel and look better on the body than old-school styles,” added Aimee Brown, denim buyer for Selfridges department stores.

On the other hand, Levi Strauss, famous for its ad campaigns, is said to be launching a new campaign this fall.